Endgame
by ravenbabe321
Summary: AU Dacey fic. Danny Desai is a contractor hired to work on Lacey Porter's house. Will more than a dream house come out of their arrangement?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello everyone. So, I wrote a new story. Couldn't help myself. Thumbs up or down? Let me know.**

**Thank you for reading.**

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><p>Lacey awoke early on a Saturday morning due to excitement. She had bought a house that needed a lot of work. Sure she couldn't move in right away, but when it was finished, it would be her dream house. She hadn't planned on purchasing a fixer upper, but she fell in love with the house. It had good bones. She saw what she could do with it. Her vision for the home was clear. She actually fell in love with it despite it looking like a tornado or hurricane had hit it.<p>

Her real estate agent, Phoebe Daly, had shown her countless properties. Some were extravagant and had been recently remodeled and decorated. She didn't like any of them. Phoebe got an old foreclosure on her hands and decided to show it to Lacey. It was the total opposite of everything she had shown her. And go figure, Lacey loved it. Lacey already was a _HGTV _addict and watched the channel a little excessively. Her favorite shows were _House_ Hunters,_ Property Virgins,__ and__ Property Brothers_. She loved watching people look for their dream homes and decided it was time for her to do the same.

Even if she didn't have a husband to settle down and buy a house with, she wanted to do that for herself. She could afford it and it would be hers. And Clara's. Clara was her three-year old niece from her brother Clarence. Clarence and his wife, Latoya had both died in a car accident. Lacey and her mother were devastated, but happy that they still had a piece of Clarence to live on. Since Lacey was Clara's God mother, she now had full custody of her after legally adopting her. And if by some weird chance, Clara looked exactly like Lacey. Everyone told her how much she looked like her and that she was her little twin. She loved that her niece looked like her, but she didn't want to erase her parents' identity. She honestly didn't know what to do when Clara would sometimes slip and call her Mama. Most times she called her Auntie Lace. She didn't know if she should correct her or let her call her that. After finding a therapist that specialized in these matters, she found out that it would be best if she just let her call her Mama. Lacey was legally her mother and in every other sense of the word. She told her that that wouldn't be erasing her brother and his wife, but they also weren't coming back to reclaim their child. It would be traumatic and confusing for a child to have someone tell them, "I'm not your Mom" to a child that lost their parent.

So now here she was a 26-year-old single parent, ready to meet the contractor that was referred to her. She was so excited about the upcoming meeting that she could barely contain herself.

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><p>Danny woke up earlier than he wanted to even though he had a meeting at a house he needed to assess. He had a pretty late night after heading to the bar with a few friends. He had a few beers, but didn't go crazy because he knew he had a meeting. It would be very unprofessional for him to show up at a meeting hung over.<p>

He owned his own company, Desai Home Improvements. He didn't need anything fancy or flashy as his company title. He didn't consider himself to be a flashy guy anyway. He spent his days wearing jeans and cargo pants, tee shirts and construction boots. He kept his long hair in his signature bun. He met women in his line of business but most were married housewives looking to have fun while their husbands were at work. He wanted no parts of that. Most hired him by word of mouth and his looks alone, but he was really good at his job. It was kind of jarring when people met him and saw how naturally good-looking he was, and that he was a blue-collar guy that wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty.

Most knew that he owned the company and did a lot of the work himself. They had no idea that he was a seriously rich guy that didn't need to pick up a hammer and nails. He made a lot of money from his company, but it was just a drop in the bucket compared to what he had in the bank. He loved that nobody knew that about him. He lived a regular life, though his house was awesome. People expected that since he was a contractor with his own company. He had his pick up truck and his Ford Mustang GT500 that he restored himself and only drove on weekends and not work related things like the occasional date or dinner with friends.

He cursed when he saw how early it was, but decided to stay awoke. It would be pointless for him to try to go back to sleep. He wondered why he woke up so early and felt antsy about going to a house and provide estimates. He could do that in his sleep. He had no idea why he woke up that early when he had hours to meet his potential new client. So he showered and dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt. He wore that daily and didn't see a reason to change that. Then he got the urge to change his clothes. Something told him to dress better. So he changed into an olive green Henley and black jeans and black boots. He put his hair into his signature bun and just didn't feel right. He attributed it to him having those beers the night before and not having enough sleep to get it out of his system. He drove to _Cracker Barrel_ and had the Country Boy Breakfast hoping it would make him feel better. It worked, but he still felt antsy. He drank an insane amount of coffee and read the paper as people bustled around him. He saw families with kids and hoped to have that one day.

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><p>Lacey was excited to see what the contractor could do with her house. She saved a lot of money on getting a fixer upper. That left her lots of money for the renovation. She made a hefty salary as a computer hardware engineer for a major software company. She didn't live beyond her means at all. She had the life insurance policies from her brother and his wife that they left for Clara. She put that in a trust fund for her and would never touch it. She and her mother got the money from the sale of their house and split it. Ironically, her sister-in-law Latoya was an only child orphaned as a young child as well. So she had money and she was going to splurge on her house. She intended to live in it for a long time. She wanted to give Clara a sense of stability. She had already lost her parents and had her life uprooted. They would move again once the house was complete, but she planned on having her grow up in that house.<p>

She woke up early and fixed breakfast for her and Clara before she took her to her mother's. Judy was happy to have her granddaughter close to her since she lost her son. Lacey made Clara's favorite, pancakes that Lacey decorated as faces using fruit. She and Clara enjoyed their pancake breakfast and then they got dressed. Lacey dressed Clara in her favorite color of pink. She had so many pink clothes and Clara picked out pink and white polka dot leggings and a pink shirt dress. She ran and got her Minnie Mouse doll and went into her play tent while Lacey got dressed. She was just going to meet the contractor, so she didn't feel the need to get too dolled up. She threw on jeans, a turquoise tunic, and white blazer. She added turquoise flats because she figured pumps were unnecessary though she wore them daily. She didn't go too far like some women and wear them to the grocery store. She fixed her hair and threw on some lip gloss and was on her way. She put Clara into her car seat and drove to Judy's house.

She turned on Clara's favorite cd, the _Frozen_ soundtrack. She sang along and Lacey joined in on the fun. Clara was the absolute light of her life. She smiled at her through the rearview mirror. She pulled up to Judy's house and let herself in. She could hear Judy in the kitchen.

"Granny!" Clara yelled as she ran to Judy.

"Birdie!" Judy yelled her nickname for her only granddaughter. She called Clarence 'Bird' when he was younger, and that transferred to his daughter. Nobody else but Judy called her that and they both loved it. "How's my favorite girl?" Judy asked.

"I'm fine." Clara says as she hugs Judy for dear life.

"Good. How are you, Lacey?" Judy asks as she continues to smile at her granddaughter.

"I'm great. How are you, Mom?" Lacey asks.

"I'm good. I see my two favorite people in the world. Also the prettiest." Judy says as she tickles Clara.

"That's great to hear. I don't think this will take too long, but I have no idea how long this will take." Lacey says.

"It is no problem. I have my Birdie with me. You can take as long as you need to. We're going to bake cookies." Judy says happily as she tickles Clara again.

Lacey giggles at their actions. "That sounds like fun. I wish I could stay." She says as she smiles.

"We wish you could too. But you have to build your dream house. Make sure you ask for a room for me too. And a playroom for my Birdie." Judy says as she gets a small pink apron for Clara and puts it on her.

"I sure will. Gimme a kiss goodbye." Lacey says as she leans down to Clara's height. She runs over and throws her arms around Lacey's neck and kisses her.

"Bye Mama." Clara says happily.

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><p>Lacey drove to her new house with her thoughts for the remodeling in her head. She knew for a fact that she wanted a huge master suite and bathroom. Also a huge chef's kitchen because she loved to cook. She wanted a huge space to entertain her family and friends. She also wanted a space for Clara. She intended to make her see that she was a part of her life and was there to stay with her forever.<p>

She pulled up into her driveway and looked around. Her front yard needed some major landscaping, but that would have to wait until later. There was no point in having it done now and then having the construction crew mess it up with their equipment. She wanted her house to have great curb appeal. She didn't want to frighten people away by having the ugliest house on the block. She got out of her car and looked around. She saw kids playing in the front yard across the street and smiled. She hoped they didn't move so that Clara would have someone to play with.

She walked up the walkway and went into the house with the keys she only had for a week. She was a little early for the contractor so she decided to look around. She didn't care what her house looked like now. She loved it and it was hers. She walked through the door and stopped in the living room. It had a fireplace that she wanted to keep. She pictured her and Clara roasting marshmallows on a cold, winter night. She then walked through to the kitchen that was already large, but was a disaster.

She just quietly and slowly walked around and checked her watch. She walked to the front door and went out of it when she saw a huge pickup truck pulling up into her driveway. _Here's here, _Lacey silently thought to herself as she started to walk down the walkway to greet him. She almost stopped dead in her tracks when she saw him get out of the truck. Tall, she figured he was about six feet, tanned skin, goatee, a strong-looking body she assumed he got from the work he did. She saw that he had long, dark hair that he had in a bun. Extremely good-looking and probably married with kids. Lacey shrugged that thought off when he smiled at her and approached her with his hand out.

Danny pulled into the driveway and saw the car already parked there. He was glad he didn't have to sit and wait for someone. He was an extremely punctual person and liked it when people were the same. He saw a woman walk out of the house and really got a good look at her as she walked further down the walkway. He hopped down out of his truck and walked toward the woman. He took in everything he could about her. Taller than most women, a slim body with brown skin. She was dressed casually but looked great to him. Extremely beautiful and had a beautiful smile. He noticed the dimple that appeared and it made his heart flutter. He smiled and was instantly attracted to her though he figured she must be married. He didn't think a single woman would buy a house that size for herself. Plus, she was beautiful. Women that looked like her weren't single. _Oh well... _Danny thought. He was there to do a job.

He extended his hand and smiled as well. "Hello, I'm Danny Desai. It's nice to meet you."

Lacey smiled and shook his hand. His handshake was strong and masculine. He had huge hands that were surprisingly soft. The handshake shocked her a bit, but she continued to smile. "Hello, I'm Lacey Porter. It's nice to meet you too." She says as they shake hands. He stared into her eyes and seemed reluctant to end the handshake.

Danny blinked and then smiled and took his hand from hers. He didn't want to. He felt warmth when he shook her hand. "You weren't waiting too long, were you?" Danny asks in a concerned tone.

"No. I got here early on purpose and looked around. I was a bit excited." Lacey says as she smiles at the handsome man in front of her.

Danny chuckled at her excitement. "Well, let's get started. Lead the way." He says as he smiles.

Lacey turned and almost nervously walked up the walkway and into the house. She felt nervous having this man walk behind her. She wasn't afraid of him in any way. She was attracted to him and that was making her nervous.

They entered the house and Danny started to look around. The house was a mess, but he had seen worse. With his magic, he could make it as beautiful as she is.

"What do you think?" Lacey asks expectantly. "It's a mess, right?" She asks.

"Yes, it's a mess. But it won't be when I'm done." Danny says and smiles.

Lacey felt a tingle from him smiling at her. "I want to keep the fireplace. I can, can't I?" Lacey asks.

Danny walks over to it and takes a look. "Of course you can. Do you want to keep the bricks?" He asks.

Lacey shrugs and smiles. "I want a nice, smooth finish. But we can keep the bricks. It'll look prettier than it does now though, right?"

Danny chuckles again. "Yes. I can do whatever you want me to do. I'm here to serve you." He says. The way he said it sounded like he was flirting.

"What about the kitchen?" Lacey asks. She needed to move. The air felt thick with sexual attraction. She kept trying to a peek at his left hand to see if he had a ring, but she couldn't get a really good look at his hand.

"Sure. We can take a look at the kitchen." Danny says and follows her to it.

"I'm dying for a chef's kitchen because I love to cook. I want granite counter tops and an island. I also want an open concept. Is that wall able to come down?" Lacey asks when she points to the wall separating the kitchen from the dining room.

"I'd have to get inside of it and see if it's a load bearing wall before I tell you if it can come down. If not, I may have to go in through the ceiling and put in a bar to reinforce the floor beams. Everything else is a do. You love to cook, huh?" Danny asks subtly.

Lacey blushes. "Yes. I love to cook. If you give me the perfect kitchen, I'll cook a meal for you and your wife. I make the best chicken and dumplings on the planet. If you eat chicken, that is." She says and smiles, revealing the dimple he thinks is incredibly cute.

Danny grinned at her statement. "I'm not married." He says. "And yes, I eat chicken.

Lacey becomes flustered and blushes. "Oh. I just assumed you were. Sorry." She offers as an apology.

"No need to apologize. Should you be flirting with me though? What will your husband think?" Danny says and waits for her reaction.

She becomes flustered again. "I'm not flirting with you. And I'm not married either." Lacey says.

Danny chuckles. "I was kidding. It's nice to know you weren't flirting." He counters.

Lacey opens her mouth in shock, ready to respond. He had stumped her. She couldn't very well admit to flirting with him now. She decides to ignore him and take him upstairs. "How about we check out the upstairs?" Lacey offers.

"Sure." Is all Danny says and follows her from the kitchen to the stairs. He tried not to focus on her behind as she walked ahead of him though he now knew she wasn't someone's wife. He'd try flirting with her later and see where it landed. They were going to be a part of each other's lives for the next few months, so he had plenty of time.

"I want hardwood floors throughout the house except for in the bedrooms." Lacey says as she walks ahead of him. It was too quiet with him walking behind her. She just knew he was looking at her butt.

"Doable." Danny says from behind her.

They stop at the master suite and walk through. "I want a huge soaker tub and separate shower. Granite counter tops and I need a lot of counter space. A huge walk in closet as well." Lacey says and Danny chuckles. "Why are you laughing?" She asks playfully.

"No reason." Danny says and gives her a closed mouthed smile.

Lacey squints her eyes and playfully tapped him on his arm. She felt heat and loved how strong his arm seemed. "If you tease me, I'm going to write you a bad check." She jokes.

"Yeah, but I'll know where you live." Danny says and flashes her a killer smile.

"Touche." Lacey says. They walk around some more and Lacey rattles off everything she wants done to the house. "So how much is all of this going to cost me, Mr. Desai?" Lacey asks once they're back in the living room.

"Mr. Desai was my father. Right off the top of my head, I'd say $40,000. I'll draw up a better estimate for you once I get to my office." Danny says.

Lacey cringes, though she thought it would be more. She figured it would be about $50,000. She won't tell him that though. She makes a whistle sound. "Wow. I guess I might have to sleep with you to knock the price down." She really didn't mean to say that, but it's too late to take it back now.

Danny smirks and looks at her dead on. "That could be arranged." He says as a joke.

He absolutely loved the look she got on her face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Hello everyone! Thank you so much for liking my new fic! I truly appreciate it. I love you guys dearly. Here's an update for being so kind.**

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**As always, Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy this latest update. Reviews are hugs!**

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><p>Lacey again became flustered by the hunk standing in front of her. She couldn't believe she just said she would sleep with him to knock the price down. She never says bold things like that. Not out loud anyway. Not that she doesn't want to or wouldn't sleep with him, she would never sleep with him for a reason like that. She wanted to and would sleep with him because he was good-looking as hell, easy to talk to, charming and charismatic, and made her feel giddy. And then he says that them sleeping together could be arranged. She didn't expect him to say that even though they had been playfully and mildly flirting since they met. She knew nothing about the man; only that he owned his own business and he wasn't married. She already liked his personality, and she definitely already liked his looks. She liked his tanned skin, his smile, his strong, soft hands and his hair. It was in a bun but she really wondered what it looked like when it was down.<p>

Lacey blushed and nervously put her hair behind her ear. "I was just kidding about sleeping with you to knock the price down." She says to her defense.

Danny smirked and Lacey instantly felt hot. "I wasn't." He says and watches the look on her face change. He also watched as she swallowed again. "I'm kidding. I couldn't help but tease you." He says as he smirked again.

"I distinctly remember telling you that if you teased me, I would write you a bad check." Lacey jokes once she has gotten over the shock of her blurting out things she shouldn't have.

"And I distinctly remember telling you that I'll know where you live." Danny counters as he folds his arm across his chest.

Lacey folds her arms across her chest as well, matching his stance. "So?" She asks as she bats her eyelashes at him playfully.

Danny chuckled. "We'll cross that bridge if we get there. Or I could always do a bum job." He states.

Lacey blushes again. "You're not going to do that." She replies surely.

Danny raised his eyebrow at her and smirked. "Really? How can you be so sure?" He questions.

Lacey unfolds her arms and leans across the counter. "Because I know you stand behind and are proud of your work. Your name is on your business so you wouldn't purposely do a bad job."

Danny chuckles. "You're right. I would never do a bum job. I was just yanking your chain." He says.

Lacey laughs. "I know you were. Just like I would never rip anybody off. I'm an honorable woman."

"So, when do you want me to start?" Danny asks casually and unfolded his arms too. They both seemed to relax a little.

"Well, I'd have to go to the bank and get you a check to get started. I can do that Monday morning." Lacey answers.

"Great. Then I can get started the same day. We have to go shopping though." Danny says.

"Shopping? For what?" Lacey asks casually.

"Well, you need to pick out things like your cabinets, floors, the granite you want for your counters, the bathtub, tile... That's just the beginning. We're doing a complete renovation, Ms. Porter." Danny says in a charming yet businesslike tone.

"You don't have to be that formal. You can call me Lacey." She says in a sweet tone.

"Lacey, you and I have to spend a lot of time together to get you everything that you want. How about we go and take a tour now and you can pick out things you like? If you have time that is." Danny offers.

"I can spare a few hours, if it takes that long. You don't have another client to meet or work to do today?" Lacey asks casually.

Danny smiles at her. "Nope. You were my only appointment today. Are you ready to go?" He asks.

"Yes. Do you want me to follow you?" Lacey asks.

"Sure, unless you want to ride with me." He says almost seductively.

"I would ride with you, but if I need to leave in an emergency, I wouldn't want to inconvenience you." Lacey replies as they both walk towards the door. Danny subtly checks her out again. They walk through the front door and Lacey locks it. "I guess I can get a key made for you as well while we're there." She says.

"That would be nice. Unless you just want me to work on the outside." Danny says and Lacey looks at him funny. "What?" Danny asks as he smirks.

Lacey started to feel tingly inside again. "Nothing." She says and blushes. They walk from the door and head down the walkway. They were walking a little too closely and brushed up against each other. They both felt heat, but ignored it. Lacey stopped at her car and Danny kept walking to his truck. Lacey checked him out and was a little embarrassed that she was staring and when he turned around, she still was. She was picturing him in a tee-shirt and tool belt. Maybe even shirtless. With his hair down.

He stopped at the driver's side door of his truck and stopped. He got turned on when he noticed that she was staring at him in a daze. He already liked her after spending about two hours with her. He loved her personality. The playful teasing that they did, the way she blushed, her cute, extremely cute dimple, and her inside and out beauty. He was relieved that she wasn't married. That didn't mean she didn't have a boyfriend, however. But he doubted it. She was flirting with him too much and letting him flirt with her. He didn't get the sense that she was the kind of woman who would flirt with a man when she's in a relationship with someone else. He could be wrong, but he doubted it. Maybe he'd ask her out while they were shopping. There's no reason they can't sit down and have a drink or quick meal together. He wanted to get to know her better. What harm could it do? He was single, though he had the occasional date. He wasn't tied to anyone. He would find out if she was tied to anyone soon enough.

"What's wrong?" Danny asks as he opens his truck door.

"Nothing." Lacey says again and blushes.

Danny smirked. "You were checking me out, weren't you?" He teased.

"I was not." Lacey lies.

"What if I wanted you to check me out?" Danny asks in a seductive tone.

"Then I would consider it." Lacey says as she giggles and opens her car door and gets in.

Danny chuckled and got in his truck and backed out of her driveway. He pulled down the road and waited for her at the stop sign. She pulled up behind him and he made his way to _Lowe's. _He liked _Home Depot _as well, but he figured Lacey would like the stuff better at _Lowe's _ bettersince they had prettier things. He could get what she needed at either place though. This visit is just to get a better understanding of her taste. And he wanted to spend more time with her and get to know her better.

He drove for a little while and pulled into the parking lot. He found two spaces together and parked and Lacey pulled in right beside him. He hopped down out of his huge truck and waited for her. "Ready?" He asks subtly.

"Of course." Lacey says as the start to walk up to the opening of the store. She had the strong urge to reach over and grab his hand. They walked into the store and Lacey instantly felt overwhelmed.

"Where do you want to start?" Danny asks.

"Uh...Where do you think we should start? You're the expert." She says in a joking tone.

"Well, I say we start with the kitchen. You can get a look at the different cabinet color choices. Most people spend the most time and the most money on their kitchens and bathrooms." Danny offers.

"Then I guess we're starting with the kitchens. I already know I want dark-colored cabinets. I think." Lacey says and chuckles.

"Hey, a lot of people think they already know what they want until they get here and see all the choices they have. The good thing about this is you can pick what you want. You don't have to be stuck with someone else's taste. This is all you." Danny says

They started to stroll through the store and several people that worked there spoke to Danny. One woman with blonde, frizzy hair seemed to come alive when Danny walked past her and she spoke to him. "Hello Danny." She says almost seductively. She got awkwardly flustered and nervous and Lacey assumed she must have a crush on him or something. "Need help with anything?" She asks and looked at Danny expectantly. She just took a quick glimpse at Lacey, but pretty much ignored her. She seemed to not appreciate that Lacey was there with him.

"Hey Flo. No, I've got it. We're just browsing anyway for the most part." Danny says and keeps walking.

"Well, just come find me if you do. I'm always here to help." Flo says.

Danny briefly stops walking and turns slightly. "I'll do that." He says and starts his stroll again.

"It seems like you know a lot of people that work here." Lacey says to start the conversation. She wanted to find out more about the man she hired to work on her house. She was a single woman and she hoped he was a single man. He said he wasn't married and she hoped that he didn't have a steady girlfriend. She figured he might have someone because he was extremely good-looking and charming. He seemed to be hard-working. She wanted to get to know Danny. Even though she feared how he would take dating her when she had a child she was responsible for. She and Clara were a packaged deal, no exceptions. She wondered if he would have a problem with dating a woman with a child.

"Yeah. I'm here a lot. I can get you some great discounts." Danny says as they walk towards the kitchen cabinets.

"Is your being here a lot the only reason that you can get great discounts?" Lacey asks subtly.

"Yeah. Why?" Danny asks as he stops at the cabinets.

"I was just thinking that maybe your good looks got you discounts." Lacey says and again instantly wishes that she hadn't said that.

"My good looks? What do you mean?" Danny asks in confusion.

"That saleswoman Flo was offering more than her help." Lacey states.

Danny looked at her almost strangely. "What? You think she was flirting with me? Are you jealous?" Danny lightly teases.

"Nevermind. Lets pick out cabinets. I really do like the dark wood." Lacey says as she walks up to it and opens the door.

"No, you can't say things like that and then try to change the subject." Danny says.

"What?" Lacey asks in mock confusion as well.

"What are you talking about? You think she was flirting with me? You think I'm good-looking?" Danny asks as he teases her.

Lacey completely ignores him. "If I get dark cabinets, do I have to get dark granite as well? What about the floors?" Lacey asks.

Danny ignores her too. "I think you're good-looking. In fact, I think you're beautiful." He says as his pores ooze with charm.

Lacey started to blush. "Thank you. And for the record, I do think you're good-looking. Don't let that go to your head though." She says and smiles.

Danny smirks. "I won't." He says. "Thank you. Are you seeing anybody, Lacey?"

"No. Just a few dates here and there. Nothing and nobody serious. Are you?" She asks as she tries to contain her nerves.

"Just a few dates here and there. Nothing and nobody special." Danny says and leaves it at that. He'd ask her out later.

Lacey grins and Danny liked the way seeing her grin made him feel. "That's great." She says cheerfully. "So what made you become a contractor?"

"Well, I took wood shop in high school and liked it. I decided to start my own business because I can be my own boss, and do what I want. What do you do for a living?" He asks casually.

"I'm a computer hardware engineer." Lacey says.

"Really? What do you do exactly?" Danny wonders.

"Well, I design new computer hardware, create blueprints of computer equipment to be built, then I test the completed models of the computer hardware I design. Analyze the test results and modify the design as needed, I update existing computer equipment so that it will work with new software, then finally, I oversee the manufacturing process for computer hardware. Sorry for rambling." Lacey says. "I just really love my job."

Danny chuckles. "It's fine. I love that you're passionate about your job. That means you're pretty smart then, huh?" He asks.

"I guess you can say that." Lacey says and then smiles.

"How long have you done that?" He asks as they start to stroll some more to the floor section.

"Four years. I got a summer internship at _Microsoft _and they hired me right after. I love it there." Lacey replies.

"So you're what? 26?" Danny asks. He then notices the look on Lacey's face.

"You know you're not supposed to ask a woman how old she is, don't you?" Lacey teases.

Danny blinks at her rapidly. "I do. I forgot. I'm sorry." He apologizes.

"It's ok. Yes, I'm 26. How old are you?" She feels the need to go ahead and ask since he knows how old she is.

"27." Danny says. They stop at the floor section and just kind of awkwardly stare at each other.

"27? Really? I thought you were at least 40." Lacey jokes and playfully taps him on the arm. She got that warm feeling again from touching him and had to walk away.

Lacey walks over to the samples they have and stares at them. She felt like they could cut the romantic chemistry with a knife. She was incredibly smitten with a man she met a few hours ago. She didn't want to fall too deep before she found out how he felt about children. That was an absolute deal breaker for her. She wouldn't abandon Clara for anyone. She loved her too much.

Lacey blushes for the hundredth time once she realized he was staring at her. "What?" She asks in a jovial tone.

"Nothing." He answers the way she did earlier when he caught her staring at him. He really liked this woman. He didn't know what was holding him back from asking her out. Maybe it was too soon and too fast. Then he thought that that's what people do when they're interested in someone they just met. You don't wait; you could chance never seeing that person again. Then again, he knew he would see her again. He still didn't want some other guy to swoop in and steal her away. _What am I waiting for? _There was no time like the present and nothing holding him back. He decided to strike while the iron was hot. He walked over to where she was and stood right next to her. "Would you like to go out with me sometime?" Danny asks.

Lacey blushed again. "We are out." She taunts.

"Well, would you like to go out with me on a date sometime?" He asks and then grins at her.

"Yes. I would love to go out on a date with you sometime." Lacey answers.

"Great. How about tonight? Are you free?" Danny asks.

Lacey hesitates. She knows Judy will keep Clara, but she's debating on whether to tell him or not about her. "Um..." Lacey begins.

Danny looks concerned. "What's wrong? You seem reluctant to decide. Do you need to get to know me better first?" Danny asks in a concerned voice.

"No, that's not it. I have something to tell you." Lacey says.

Danny looks at her in concern. "Don't tell me you really are married, or have a boyfriend, or you're a teenager or really a guy." Danny says in a joking but semi serious tone.

Lacey giggles despite being uncomfortable. "No, none of that is true. It's just...I have a little girl. She's three years old." She says and waits for his reaction to her bombshell.

"Is that all? That's fine with me. I love children. What's her name?" He asks.

"Clara." Lacey says and her face lights up.

"That's a very pretty name. Do you have bad history with her father or something?" Danny asks in concern.

"No. I loved her father and still do. I always will." Lacey says and Danny looks a little uncomfortable at her declaration.

"Ok." Is all he says.

"I said I'll always love him because her father is my brother." Lacey says and Danny looks at her in surprise.

"What?! Come again?" He asks in shock.

"Danny, don't get the wrong idea. I guess I should tell you the whole story. Clara is biologically my niece. She's my brother's daughter. He and his wife died in a car accident. I adopted her." Lacey says.

Danny starts to smile. He knew that he wanted a woman like Lacey in his life forever. "That is a really loving and honorable thing you did. I think I like you even more because of it." He says with the utmost sincerity.

Lacey smiles at that. She felt like a weight had been lifted. "Thank you. I love her and treat her like she's my own. Sometimes she calls me Mama." She says. "I think I like you even more because you're ok with it."

"That's really sweet. She must really love you. Where is she?" Danny wonders.

"With my mom. She helps me a lot with her. I'm glad we still have a part of my brother left." Lacey says and wipes a tear away.

Danny takes this time to give her a hug. "I'm glad you do too." He says as he continues to hold her in his arms. They both felt heat radiating through them from the hug.

"Thanks Danny." Lacey says once they finally break the hug.

"Don't mention it." Danny says. "But since you're confessing things, I have something to tell you as well."

"Is it something bad?" Lacey asks sheepishly.

"It depends on how you look at it." Danny answers.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Hello everyone. Thank you for reading. I hope you all enjoy. It gets better, I think. :)**

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><p>Lacey looked at the man she just met and wondered what on earth he had to tell her. She hoped that it wasn't something bad, but he said that it depends on how she looks at it. He could tell her that he's married but estranged from his wife, that he's a convicted felon, that he has so many kids, he doesn't know them all, that he believes in polygamy, anything really. A barrage of things that she can have a problem with. She won't have a problem with him having a child or two because that would be totally hypocritical of her.<p>

"Ok, so what do you need to tell me? You don't really have to confess all your sins seeing as though we just met. I just told you about my little girl so that there won't be any surprises when I'm not as available as some women." Lacey admits honestly.

"Actually, it's about your little girl." Danny says.

"So, you really do have a problem with dating a woman with a child then? I'm sorry Danny, but she and I are a packaged deal. You can't have me without her." Lacey says.

Danny smiles. "Lacey, that's not it at all. I really don't have a problem with you having a child. I love children. I know I just met you, but I'd really like to meet your little girl one day. Not now or this soon because I don't want to scare her off."

Lacey smiles at hearing that though it slightly scares her. She and Danny aren't even a thing yet. She doesn't know if they'll ever be a thing. She doesn't want to confuse Clara. "I'd like that, Danny. So, is that what you wanted to tell me?" Lacey wonders.

"Yes. That's why I said it depends on how you look at it. She's three right? I don't want to scare or confuse her by having her wonder who I am." Danny says.

"Yes, she's three. But Danny, I have a confession to make of my own. Clara won't be the only confused one because I am too. I don't even know what you or we are so I don't expect her to." Lacey states and looks at Danny woefully.

"You're right. I'm the guy working on your house that's dying to take you out on a date. And we're friends. How about we start there and see where it goes?" Danny asks.

Lacey smiles again. It's easy for her to smile around him. "I say that is fine." She says and then her phone rings. She checks it and sees that it's her mother, Judy. "Sorry, it's my mom. I have to take this. Hello?" Lacey asks.

"How is everything going?" Judy asks.

"It's going well. We're at _Lowe's _looking at items for the house. Is everything ok there?" She asks as she glances at Danny.

"Everything is fine. I told you to take as long as you need. I have my Birdie here with me and we're having fun. She wants to talk to you. Hold on." Judy says and hands the phone to Clara.

"Hi Mama." Clara says and Lacey's face lights up and Danny can't help but smile at that.

"Hi Baby Bird. I miss you." Lacey says and smiles so hard it hurts her face.

"I miss you, Mama. Me and Granny made you a cookie. I ate some." Clara says.

Lacey giggles. "I can't wait to eat the cookie you made for me. Are you being a good girl for Granny?" Lacey asks.

"Yes. Bye Mama." Clara says and hands the phone to Judy and runs away with her arms out like she's flying. She thinks she can since Judy calls her Birdie.

"My Birdie flew away." Judy says and then chuckles. "So what are you doing? Did you ask for a playroom for my Birdie? What about my room?" Judy asks.

"I will make sure you have a room and a playroom for Birdie. I promise. We're just looking at samples so he can get a better feel of what I like. Mom, I need another favor." Lacey says.

"Anything, Lacey." Judy says happily.

"Can you keep her a little longer? I might go out on a date." Lacey says and smiles at Danny.

"A date. With who?" Judy wonders She doesn't remember Lacey mentioning anyone.

"Just this great guy I met." Lacey says.

"Of course I'll keep my Birdie. Did you tell him about her?" Judy asks.

"Yes, Mom. He knows about Birdie." Lacey answers.

"'How's this. You pack a bag for Birdie and come past to see her for a bit and get your cookie before your date and she can spend the night with me. How does that sound?" Judy offers.

"Ok. That sounds great. I'll do that shortly. I know she'll need a nap soon. Thanks Mom." Lacey says in a jovial tone.

"You don't have to thank me, Lacey. I love you and Birdie." Judy says and then hangs up.

Lacey smiles and puts her phone away. "Sorry about that." Lacey apologizes.

"No need to apologize. You really love her, don't you?" Danny asks.

"Yes, I do. I didn't give birth to her, but that really doesn't matter to me." Lacey admits.

"So you guys call her Birdie?" Danny asks quizzically.

"I call her Baby Bird. My mom calls her Birdie because she called my brother Bird." Lacey says.

"What does she call you?" Danny asks.

Lacey giggles then smiles. "Cookie." Lacey and Danny both laugh at her nickname. "What can I say? I love cookies. She doesn't really call me that any more. She's the only person to call Clara Birdie though. That's their thing so I stay out of it."

Danny subtly changes the subject, though he loves hearing about her little girl. "So...am I the great guy you met that you might go out on a date with?" He asks casually, in a charming tone.

Lacey grins, then blushes. "You might be. If you play your cards right." She says as she playfully flirts with him.

"What do I have to do?" Danny asks expectantly.

"What are you willing to do?" She asks as she playfully raises an eyebrow at him.

"I'm willing to do just about anything." Danny responds and Lacey got that warm feeling yet again.

"You just have to take me out on a great date. And since my mom is keeping Birdie, you have me for the entire night." Lacey says and then realizes how it sounds.

Danny's face lights up like Lacey's did when she was talking to Clara. "I get you for the whole night? Really? You're already ready to knock the price down?" He asks in a teasing and taunting tone.

Lacey chuckles despite being embarrassed. "That came out totally wrong. I just meant, I won't have to cut out early like Cinderella at the ball." She says to correct her mistake.

"Ok. So are you saying I'm Prince Charming?" Danny asks.

Lacey looks him over. "You're as good-looking as Prince Charming, but the hair is totally different."

"I guess you're right about that." Danny admits.

"And Danny?" Lacey asks expectantly.

"Yes, Lacey?" Danny asks, voice full of hope.

"Just so you know, I could always change my mind about you having me for then entire night." Lacey says and then walks away to the paint section.

Danny started thinking of how glad he was that Lacey bought that house and hired him to fix it up. He slowly followed behind her and made his way to the paint section as well. She pretended not to notice him as she looks at the many paint cards. She wasn't even thinking about paint right now, though she did go to look at the pinks. She knew Clara would want pink in her room. Lacey was going to paint a mural in her room as a surprise. Danny just stood looking at other paint samples, but he was really watching Lacey. He was trying to keep his cool about their date that night. He was actively watching the beautiful woman standing feet away and also thinking about where he would take her. He thought about a movie because that was the easiest way for them to get close. He could hold her hand without even really trying. That sounded perfect. Then dinner either before or after. Before. Before would work better because then they could go on a stroll after. He could hold her hand again. And if her was truly lucky, he could get another hug and maybe even a kiss out of it.

He subtly made his way over to her. "So where would you like to go tonight on our date?" Danny asks as he looks at her instead of the paint samples.

"I'm not a hard woman to please. Wherever you would like to take me is fine. I was going to offer to cook for you, but I haven't been on a date in an embarrassingly long time, so we can do that later. That is, if we like each other and like going on dates together." Lacey says.

"I think we've already established that we like each other." Danny counters.

"Did we?" Lacey asks in mock surprise.

"Yes, we did." Danny replies and he starts to get that feeling. "Are you ready to get out of here?" Danny asks.

"Yes, but I have to go to my house and pack Birdie's bag and spend time with her and my mom. I have to get my specially baked cookie." Lacey exclaims, almost in excitement.

"Ok. I'd feel like a jerk for taking you away from spending time with them, but I'll have time to get with you tonight. Do you want me to pick you up, or what?" Danny asks.

"Yes. I would love it if you picked me up. What time should I be ready?" Lacey asks.

"Is 6:00 too early?" Danny asks with a grin on his face.

"Nope. It's perfect. Gives us plenty of time." Lacey says and they start to walk towards the exit of the store. Danny did reach out and grab Lacey's hand this time. Frizzy haired Flo looked on in anger and disappointment as she saw them leave the store.

Danny and Lacey strolled to their vehicles that were parked next to each other. Danny happily stood over Lacey as she leaned on her car so that they could finish talking. "You know you have to give me your address if you want me to pick you up." He says as he grins at her.

Lacey said nothing as she took out her phone and texted him her address. She already had his number from the referral she got to fix up her house, now he had her address. She smiled as she put her phone away again. "Done."

"I'll call you when I'm on my way." Danny says.

"Ok." She replies. Danny leaned forward and kissed her on her cheek. She felt all warm inside when he kissed her and she wondered what it would be like to kiss him on the lips. In due time. She wasn't going to go too far but she really had plans to enjoy her date with Danny. She loved that he was ok with her being a mother. Well, in every sense of the word, she was Clara's mother. She didn't carry her in her womb and give birth to her, but she loved her like she was. In the eyes of the law, she was. Clara called her Mama. She was her mother. She loved that he didn't make a face about it when he thought she wasn't looking, like some men have done in the past. Or never call her again when they found out. She could see them lose interest as soon as she brought it up. That was still a possibility with Danny, but she didn't think he'd leave her in the dust like that.

He smiled at her and walked to his truck. She got in her car and pulled out of the parking lot, with Danny right behind her. They went in opposite directions once they got to the intersection, but they both honked their horns.

They had both left feeling lucky and couldn't wait for their date that night.

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><p>Danny drove to his house and felt like a lucky man on the way. He really thought Lacey was a great woman and couldn't wait to get to know her more. He knew she had to be special because of what she did. She took in a child when she didn't have to and totally changed her life. He really did think that was an honorable and loving thing that she did. He admired her for that. And if things really progressed for them, he would be a part of that little girl's life as well. He had never dated a woman with a child before, but he did love children. Several of his friends had kids and he adored them. Just that morning he thought that he would really love to have that when he had kids and families bustling around him while he was eating breakfast.<p>

He desired to be a father one day and have a son that he could play soccer and baseball with. A little girl he could treat like a princess. He wanted children of his own and really thought he was jumping the gun and losing his mind when he thought of having children with Lacey when he just met her. He had no idea if she wanted more children, or even a biological child of her own. He didn't want to scare her off and tell her that, but he would broach the subject once they got to know each other better.

He pulled up to his huge masterpiece house that he helped build with his bare hands. He loved everything about it and he again started thinking too much. He was about to rebuild Lacey's dream house. So where did that leave them? She'd definitely want to live in her house and he wanted to live in his. They couldn't live apart forever if they really clicked and hit it off. What if they got married? One of them would have to sell their house. And right then and there he decided that he would sell his. He wouldn't want to have Lacey have to uproot Clara and have her move. He figured she had to move when she moved with Lacey, then they would move again when he finished the house. He wouldn't expect her to move her again. He had to stop thinking so much. He just met Lacey hours ago and he's already planning their futures.

He parked his huge truck and went into his house. As soon as he walked in the door, his phone rang. He answered it without even checking it in the hopes that it was Lacey. "Hello?" He answered in his smooth voice.

"Hello, sexy. How are you?"

Danny frowned because he realized that it was Zoey. "Hey, Zoey. I'm good. How are you?" Danny asks just to be polite.

"I'm great. I'd be better if I could see you tonight." She replies in a seductive manner.

"I'm sorry, Zoey. But I can't see you tonight." Danny says. He was really thinking, _Or any more for that matter. _

She sounded disappointed when she let out a sigh. She started talking to him in a baby like voice that he knew that she thought was sexy and was in the past, but now it sounded like nails on a chalkboard to him. "Danny, why can't you see me? You know you want to see me. You always want to see me." She whined.

Danny sighed. "Look Zoey. I have a date tonight. That's why I can't see you." He says and hopes she takes the hint and runs away.

"That's ok. You already know I don't mind sharing. You can just come by or I can come by there afterwards." She says and her desperation turned him off.

"Zoey, I do. And I think the woman that I'm going out with would mind as well. I'm sorry Zoey, but what we had is over." Danny says in a nice tone. He didn't see a reason to be nasty or hostile.

"Really?! You're breaking up with me?!" Zoey yells.

Danny remains calm. "We were never together, Zoey. We had dates and fun. That's it. And that's over now. I'm sorry." He says in the same calm tone.

"You're going to regret this!" She says and hangs up.

Danny never thought that Zoey might be a little unhinged, but she just showed her true colors after he told her that. He really meant what he said. He was willing to say goodbye to other women to make something work with Lacey. He already saw her as the mother of his children. He wasn't jeopardizing that for a woman he just went out with occasionally and then climbed into bed with. Zoey was simply someone to waste time with.

He walked into his bedroom and started to undress. He woke up too early and needed to recharge for his date with Lacey. He stripped down to his boxers and got into his bed. He stared at his ceiling for a moment and thought about her. He needed a few hours because he wanted to enjoy his night with the woman he could readily consider the woman of his dreams.

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><p>Lacey drove to her house happy. She liked Danny. She did. She could possibly love that man. She hoped he was true to his word about his feelings about her having a child and him being ok with it. She couldn't go through another bout of heartache. She would always choose Clara over everyone, even herself. She didn't choose what happened to her and her parents couldn't control leaving her, but Lacey could control walking out of her life. She would never do that to her. The only way she was leaving her baby was the way that her biological parents left.<p>

She walked into her town house and went to Clara's room, humming. She packed her pajamas and other things she needed for the night. Lacey tried leaving things over her mother's house for Clara, but she always wanted different things when she stayed over there. It became too much of a hassle, so Lacey and Judy decided to let Clara win and have new items each time she stayed over. She liked having a bag to unpack.

She immediately left and drove to her mother's house again. She walked in the door and heard Clara singing, _"Let it Go" _to her mother. Ever since she saw the movie _Frozen, _that song had become a constant part of Lacey's life. She wouldn't have it any other way. Clara's happiness made her happy.

"Auntie Mama!" Clara yelled as she ran towards Lacey. She missed her that much.

"Hi Baby Bird! I missed you." Lacey says and gives her little angel a hug.

"I missed you Mama." Clara says and kisses Lacey. She then leaves to go get Lacey's cookie. "Here Mama." She said once she has returned and gives Lacey a cookie she thinks is shaped like a heart.

Lacey immediately takes it and eats it. "That was the best cookie I've ever had." Lacey says and smiles at her little girl. She goes to sit at the kitchen table with her mother as Clara starts singing again.

"Happy to have you back." Judy says. "How did it go?"

"It went great. I found out it's going to cost me a pretty penny to get the house the way I want it. It will be money well spent in the end so no worries." Lacey says.

"So you're going to hire the man you met at the house?" Judy asks and notices the smile that forms on her daughter's face.

"Yes, I'm going to hire him." Lacey says as she tries, but fails to wipe the smile off her face.

"What's with the huge smile? Did you find money on your way over here?" Judy asks.

"No, Mom. The guy working on my house is the guy I'm going out with." Lacey says.

Judy raises an eyebrow and her own dimples appear. "Really? Didn't you just meet? Were you really out looking at things for the house or were you already on a date with him and that was your cover?" She asks her daughter accusingly though she loves seeing how happy Lacey is.

"Yes, we just met. We just hit it off when we were at the house. He suggested we go look at things and got to know each other more. Then he asked me out on a date tonight. I told him that I might not be free, and then I told him about Birdie. He told me that he didn't mind that I have a child and that he loves children. He even told me that he wanted to meet her one day." Lacey says happily to her mother.

"Well, Lacey he sounds like a really great guy." Judy states.

"I think so too. I just wonder what the catch is." Lacey says a little uneasily.

"Hopefully, there isn't one sweetheart." Judy replies in a comforting motherly tone.

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><p>Danny awoke from his nap and worked out a little before he showered and changed for his date with Lacey. He had a lot of nervous energy he needed to get out of his system. he needed to get something else out of his system as well and would take care of that when he got the chance. He got into his shower and washed his hair because he decided he was going to wear it down. He again thought of Lacey while he was in the shower. He got excited about seeing her again.<p>

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><p>Lacey headed back to her house and took a quick nap. She had been on the run all day and wanted to be fresh and alert for her date with Danny. She didn't know where they were going or what they were doing, but she was actively looking forward to it. She went into her house and undressed and got in her bed. She laid in her bed and quietly thought about how long it had been since she had a man in her bed and then she started to think about Danny.<p>

She knew it would be some time before he actually got into her bed, if he ever did, but she liked thinking of the possibility. She started to get that warm feeling as she turned over and put her pillow between her legs. She wanted a short nap to recharge her and she again thought of Danny as she drifted off into a restful nap.

She awoke about two hours later and went to shower. She thought of what to wear the entire time she was in there. She also thought of Clara and Danny. She had never thought this much about a man she just met, but she didn't think that was a bad thing. She finished with her shower and went to her closet and still debated on what to wear. She knew she wanted to wear a dress, but she didn't know which one. She had a lot of dresses because she was a dress kind of woman. She had killer legs that she liked to show off.

She decided on a short, sapphire blue dress with a gun-metal belt. She wore the matching gun-metal shoes that she was dying to wear. She fixed her hair into ringlets because she always wore her hair straight. She put on a light perfume and did her makeup. As she was applying her lipstick, her phone rang.

"Hello?" Lacey asks expectantly.

"Hello, Lacey. I'll be there in five." Danny says in a cheerful tone.

Lacey giggled. "I'll be waiting." She says and hangs up. She started to feel giddy like she was being picked up for the prom or something. This was her first date with him, but she was behaving like she hadn't been on a date at all. And sure enough, five minutes later, her doorbell rang. She hurried to the door and was taken aback at how handsome and sexy Danny looked in his gray pants and fitted gray shirt. He had his hair down and a huge smile on her face. She already thought that Danny was good-looking, but he looked damn good to her. "Hello, Danny." Lacey says and smiles.

Danny smiles as well and produced a bouquet of flowers. "You look great." Danny says as he takes in her appearance. He kissed her on the cheek again. He noticed her legs that looked like they were dipped in butter and how fuller her lips looked with the red lipstick on them. He again felt like the luckiest man in the world and was glad that he decided to not tell Lacey what he almost told her earlier.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Hello everyone. I was in a bad place with this story but the encouragement to make me not give up on it and to continue gave me feels. Thank you to everyone that likes this story, that didn't want me to delete it, and to continue with it. I appreciate that immensely and hope that I don't disappoint. **

**I'm sorry that I haven't updated the fave, but I need to get back into a routine of updating everything. **

**Contains a sample of "Let It Go" from the movie Frozen. Used for entertainment purposes only. **

**Thank you for reading. Reviews are hugs! :)**

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><p>Danny continued to look at Lacey and admire how beautiful she looked. He already thought she was and was instantly attracted to her from first laying eyes on her. He really liked her and wanted to get to know her more. He really liked how she selflessly adopted a child and became an instant parent and just kept reminding himself that what she did was an extremely honorable thing to do. He wondered if he would do the same in that situation. He hoped that he would, but that really made him want to keep a woman like Lacey near him. Hopefully in time, his attraction to her would blossom into something more. He figured life was too short to play around and be indecisive. He was already committed in his mind with him thinking of having a future with her and selling his house. Some would probably think he was crazy for even thinking that when they had just met, but just because he thought it didn't mean it had to happen. They were just his thoughts and he wouldn't scare Lacey off or run her away with telling her that. He was a planner and a thinker, which made him a good business man. Only a fool would let a woman like Lacey get away.<p>

Lacey smiled widely at him giving her flowers and his compliment. This guy was extremely smooth, charming, and charismatic. She liked him and wanted to like him more. She needed a man in her life. He already knew about Clara and it didn't turn him off. She hoped that he was a keeper. She knew they had just met and knew each other literally hours, but she really got to know him in those hours and hoped to learn more on their date and in the near future. "Thank you. You are so kind." Lacey says and continues to smile.

"You're welcome. That's just a small gesture to show you that I like you and want to get to know you better. Telling you that you look great is just the truth." He says and smiles.

Lacey blushed. "I like you and want to get to know you better as well. You look great too. Come on in. I'm ready, but I want to put these in water." She says and steps aside to let him come in.

"Thank you." He says and enters her house. He looked around and thought she had a nice place. "You have a really nice house." He offers sincerely.

"Thank you. I've outgrown this place though. I'm ready to move into my dream house." She says. "Make yourself at home. I'll be right back." Lacey says and heads toward the kitchen.

Danny stepped further into her living room and really looked around. He looked around like the contractor in him does in every home he goes into, and as a guest admiring someone's home. He used it as a way to better decipher her style for when he started remodeling her house. He loved the chocolate-brown furniture, with the lighter brown and white throw pillows and the rug to match in the middle of the hardwood floors. She also had a chocolate-brown dining room set that really complimented the living room furniture. He saw many items that let anyone know that a child lived there. He looked at the artwork she had on the walls and the huge picture of a little girl above the mantel. He walked up to it to get a closer look. He knew it was her little girl who was simply adorable and looked just like her. If he didn't know she wasn't her biological daughter, he would think that she was because of the striking resemblance. He saw smaller pictures on the mantle. One of a man and woman standing on a lawn in front of a house, and Danny thought that must be her brother and his wife that died. Another picture of her and her little girl. Clara was behind Lacey with her arms draped around her shoulders and Lacey was holding her hands. They really looked like mother and daughter, smiling from ear to ear and both were wearing white. There was another picture of nice looking woman, that he knew was Lacey's mother because of the dimples and the resemblance as well. All in all, Lacey had a very beautiful family.

Lacey came out from the kitchen and sat her vase of flowers on her dining room table. She appeared beside him. He turned to her and smiled. "You have a beautiful family." He admits truthfully.

"Thanks. That's my angel, Clara. My mother, Judy. They're Clara's parents, Clarence and Latoya." She says a little sadly, but her smile never leaves her face as she points to the pictures.

"It's amazing how much Clara looks like you. If you hadn't told me you adopted her, I wouldn't even think that she was." Danny says.

"I know. Everybody tells me how much she looks like me. My mother says she looks just like I did as a child. As you can see, my brother and I look alike too. I suggested they name her Clara after him. Clara has been my baby since the day she was born. I was more than her aunt it seemed." Lacey states.

"How long has she been with you?" Danny wonders.

"A little over a year. She was only two years old when they died. I worry about her forgetting them. She always called me Auntie Lace, now she calls me Auntie Mama, Mama Lace, or just Mama. It was a little rough in the beginning when she would cry for them, but it has gotten better. I worried about what to do when she started to call me Mama. I went to a therapist and she told me to let her because I am her mother and her real parents weren't coming back. I just don't want her to forget them, but I also want her to know that she's mine now forever." Lacey says and glances at Danny. "Sorry for the heavy talk."

Danny shakes his head and puts his hand up in protest. "Don't apologize. I love hearing you talk about your family."

"Thanks. I do love talking about them. I'm extremely happy even though I miss my brother and sister-in-law. I love that Clara is the most important person in my life, but I'd change it and bring them back in a second. I know I can't do that, so I just embrace it. It was a huge shock and change to my life as I knew it, but I couldn't have just let her and go live with strangers. That wouldn't be fair to her since she had no control over her parents leaving her." Lacey confesses.

"I can only imagine. But it's really great that you did that. That really shows me the kind of woman that you are. I know I don't know you that well, and you don't know me that well either, but I already like what I know about you. I can't wait to learn more." Danny states and then smiles at her.

"I feel the same way. I already feel comfortable around you and I'm really looking forward to the near future. Are you ready for our date?" She asks and then smiles.

"Yes. I'm very ready for our date. Shall we?" He offers her his hand. Lacey takes it and grabs her purse as they head for the door. Lacey quickly let his hand go to lock the door and grabbed it again as they walked down the stairs and headed for his car. He was the perfect gentleman and opened the door for her.

"I thought we'd be riding in that huge truck you have." Lacey jokes once he's in the car and she fastens her seat belt.

"That's just for work. Besides, I can't have you riding around in that thing when you look that pretty." He says and playfully winks at her.

"Subtle." Lacey says and they both laugh. "So where are we headed to?" Lacey asks casually as he pulls off.

"To a place called _Southern Blues. _Have you ever been there?" He asks.

"No. I don't really get to go out much." Lacey admits and smiles at him.

"Well, I'm glad I'm able to help you out with that. I think you'll really like it. The food is great and they have a live band on weekends." Danny says. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course. That's what you do on first dates." She replies and smiles.

"When is the last time you've been on a date?" Danny questions.

Lacey thinks for a moment. "I'd say it's been about 6 months." Lacey confesses in a semi embarrassed tone.

"And why is that?"

"I don't want to say it's because of my little one, but it is. I meet guys and some of them are a little put off by me having a child. Some pretend to not care, but they get upset when I'm not available. I've seen men make faces when I mention my child when they think I'm not looking. Some don't call me any more after they find out. Or they make up an excuse as to why they couldn't make it to our date. I guess the kid thing is too much baggage for some men." She confesses truthfully and seriously wonders if he fits into that category anywhere. She got quiet thinking about it.

"Are you wondering if I fit the description of some of those men?" He wonders as he briefly glances over at her after the silence.

Lacey looked at him and tried to smile though she was a little uncomfortable. "I was. Sorry." She offers as an apology.

"It's ok, but you don't have to worry. I really don't have a problem with you having a child. I love children. A lot of my friends already have them. And how could I have a problem with it when you're doing something completely selfless by taking her in? I wouldn't have a problem with her even if she was biologically yours. Children aren't a deal breaker for me." Danny admits, and every word rings true.

Lacey smiled at that. "Great. So what is a deal breaker?" She asks casually.

"A woman with 10 cats, someone who isn't clean, a drug addict or alcoholic, someone racist and homophobic, and an atheist. I think I can live with everything else. How about you? Any deal breakers I should be aware of?" Danny asks casually as he continues to drive towards the restaurant.

"Well, you already know the me having a child thing is a deal breaker. I'm with you on the not clean thing, the drug addict and the alcoholic thing too. Actually, I agree with you on everything. One more thing for me is a man that's unemployed. That's a huge turn off to me. I think I could deal with you having 10 cats. I know Clara would love it. Also any type of abuse, be it physical or emotional abuse. Other than that, I can get along with just about anyone. I know everyone isn't compatible, but at least if this doesn't work out, I think we can be friends." Lacey states.

"Why would you think this wouldn't work out?" He asks as he stops at red light.

"I don't think this wouldn't work out, per se. I was just saying if it didn't. We still have a lot to get to know about each other. I could hate your taste in music or cereal, and this would just be doomed." Lacey jokes.

Danny laughs lightly. "We have a lot of time to get to know each other. But I have to admit that I already like what I know about you. I hope you agree." He says as he hears a honk behind him and pulls off.

"Yes, I agree. I already like you too. Can I ask you a question now?" Lacey wonders.

"Shoot." Danny says.

"Did we really have to go to the store today, or was that just your way of breaking the ice and us getting to this point?" Lacey asks quizzically.

Danny looked over at her momentarily and smiled. "That was a little bit of both, actually. I did want to see what kinds of things you like, but I usually wait to do that with people. So, I'm a little guilty of trying to get to know you better. If I have to apologize for that, then I'm sorry." Danny states and glances over at her again.

"You don't have to apologize for wanting to get to know me better, Danny. I'm glad you did. It lead up to this." Lacey says and smiles. Danny finally pulls up and parks in the parking lot of the restaurant. He quickly got out and walked around to open Lacey's door for her. She loved him being such a gentleman to her. It made her feel great that he seemed to genuinely like her and not have a problem with her being a single mother. "Thank you." Lacey says once she's out of the car.

"You're very welcome, Ms. Porter." Danny says. Lacey grabbed his hand as they walked up to the restaurant. They could see that it was starting to get a little busy. They saw lots of couples waiting for tables and that made Lacey smile and feel like one of them. Danny seemed to pull her closer and grabbed her hand and she loved that. She knew they weren't a couple, yet, but she still felt like they were one and were among friends. Her hand felt good in his large, soft hands as they sat on the bench and waited for their table to be ready. "Do you like this place so far?" He asks casually to keep the conversation going and to get to know her better.

"Yes, I do. So far it feels like a great place to sit and enjoy a meal. I can see why you brought me here. Do you come here often?" Lacey asks.

"No, not often. I have been here quite a few times though." Danny replies

"Is this your go to place for dates?" Lacey wonders. She's secretly hoping that it isn't.

"No. You're the first woman I've brought here on a date. I'm usually the fifth wheel when I come here with my friends. My friends Cole and his wife Regina and Charlie and his wife Whitney are usually my dates when I come here. I think you'd like them. Maybe we all can come here together one night. They all have kids, so they would understand about Clara. Cole and Regina have a four-year old daughter that could be a playmate for your little girl." Danny replies.

"I'd really like that. Have you guys been friends for a long time?" Lacey wonders.

"Yeah. Cole, Charlie and my other friend Rico, we all went to high school together. Cole and Charlie work with me and Rico is an accountant that handles my books. He's single too. Cole, Charlie, and I played soccer together. What about your friends?" Danny wonders.

"Well, my friend Phoebe and I hit it off after she became my real estate agent. She showed me a lot of houses. She's the most dramatic person I know, but I already love her dearly. She's married, but she doesn't have any kids. My friend Sarita has been my friend since college. She's single and doesn't have any kids. We hang out and talk when we can. She's one of those people that you really have to get to know to love. You probably won't like her when you first meet, but she's a sweetheart. My best friend is named Karen, but she live in Boston. We've been best friends forever. She has three kids already, so we don't see each other as often as we should." Lacey states and hears Danny chuckle a little. "What's so funny?" She wonders.

"Nothing. My mother's name is Karen, that's all." Danny admits.

"Are you two close?" Lacey wonders.

"Yes. We got a lot closer after my father died. I know that you and your mom are close. What about your father?" Danny asks.

"He lives in Seattle. He and my mother got divorced when we were younger. I haven't really seen him that much throughout the years. He went through a really rough time when my brother died." Lacey was about to say something else when they called them for their table. She suddenly realized just how hungry she was after smelling the food in the dining area.

"What do you usually like to drink?" Danny asks once they're seated.

"I'm usually a wine kind of girl. I'm not really that into hard liquor. What about you?"

"I'm not into hard liquor either. Beer is usually my thing." Danny says and smiles at her. He felt really comfortable around her and she felt the same way about him. She was glad that he asked her on a date. She was glad that she was actually on a date with a man that made her smile and knew about her little girl and embraced it. She felt special because he was so attentive in asking her about her. She felt a little warm inside the way his gaze would linger on her and when he touched her. She felt like calling Phoebe to thank her for showing her that wreck of a house and for referring her to the contractor that her clients used and praised. She wanted to call her mom and thank her for keeping Birdie so that she could enjoy her night out with this new man. She was glad that this man wasn't married with children like she initially suspected when she first laid eyes on him. And despite her having a wonderful time with him, she started to miss her Baby Bird. She wasn't going to call her and ruin the mood. She's just going to discreetly go to the restroom and do it. Even though he knew about Birdie and had no problem with her, she wanted him to know that she was fully invested in their date and getting to know him better.

She really enjoyed her meal and she wanted to come there again. It was the perfect place for a date. She loved the live band that played smooth jazz. It was one of her favorite genres of music. She went back to focus on the meal that reminded her of her own cooking and her mother's. She did a lot of cooking now that Clara was with her. She didn't want her to live on a diet of junk food, so she cooked daily. It was just her and Birdie, but she still cooked them healthy meals. She started thinking that she would be happy to cook for Danny. She already offered to do so, but she wanted to do it before her dream house was completed. She smiled at the thought. Danny noticed her smiling, and it made him smile as well.

"What are you thinking about? I hope it's not some other guy." Danny jokes playfully.

"I would never think about another guy while I'm with you. Actually, I was thinking of how I wanted to cook for you. I know I already offered, but I wanted to do so before the house is finished. I'll invite you over for dinner one night. Preferably a Sunday." Lacey says.

"I'd like that. I know we can't do it tomorrow because it's too soon for Clara to meet me, but just let me know the day and I'll be there. I'll bring wine and juice for your little one." Danny says and smiles.

Lacey smiles as well. "I'd like that. I know she would too."

"Do you miss her? You can call her if you'd like. I don't mind." Danny states.

"Yes, I miss her. Thank you." Lacey says. "But I won't do it at the table. Common courtesy and date etiquette still applies here even though you know what you're dealing with."

"What is she like?" Danny asks sincerely and that makes Lacey's heart flutter. No one has ever asked her that before.

"She's truly a little princess. She loves to sing. She can already read and talks great for her age. She loves animals, especially birds. She's really the best thing to ever happen to me and the light of my life. Thank you for asking about her. I truly appreciate that." Lacey states truthfully.

"You're welcome." Danny adds. His eyes linger on her for a second. "Do you want to dance?"

"I'd love to." Lacey says and as soon as she does, her phone rings. She looks at Danny with an apology written all over her face.

"It's fine, Lacey. You can take the call." He says and takes a sip of his beer.

"Hello?" Lacey answers as she gets up from her seat and heads towards the restroom. Danny admired her as she walked away, and truly felt like he did a good thing by asking this woman out.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Lacey. But Birdie really wanted to talk to you. She insisted." Judy says.

"It's ok, Mom. Put her on."

"Hi, Mama. I miss-ed you." Clara says in her three-year old voice.

"Hi, Baby Bird. I missed you too. Can you sing for me?" Lacey asks.

Clara immediately starts singing her favorite song, Let It Go.

_Let it go, let it go_

_Let it go, let it go_

_Let it go, let it go_

_Can't hold you back anymore_

_Let it go, let it go_

_Turn my back and slam the door._

Lacey smiled and wiped a tear from her eye. "You did really good, Baby Bird. Are you sleepy?" Lacey asks.

"No." Clara lies and then yawns in Lacey's ear.

"Did you eat your dinner?" Lacey wonders.

"Yes. I had dino nuggets and tatoes and trees." Clara says and Lacey giggles at her calling broccoli trees.

"Broccoli, Baby Bird. You had broccoli." Lacey says and giggles some more.

"I sleepy Mama." Clara says and yawns again.

"Gimme a kiss bye-bye. I love you, Baby Bird."

Clara made kissing sounds in the phone. "I love you, Mama. Bye!" She says and then she's off.

Judy comes back on the line. "I love how she calls broccoli trees. She loves it though. Are you having a good time on your date?" Judy asks casually.

"Yes, Mom. He's a great guy. A really great guy. I like him a lot. He asked me what Clara was like." Lacey admits to her mother.

"He's a keeper then Lacey. You need a man in your life. Clara needs a man in her life." Judy confesses sadly.

"I don't want to scare him off. I don't want to make the man a step father and we just met, Mom. I know we both need someone. I do." Lacey admits.

"But what if that's what he wants?" Judy asks. "You have a lot to offer someone, Lacey. So what if you just met? He doesn't have an issue with Birdie, so just enjoy yourself. If it doesn't work out, know that it's his loss. You and Birdie are the best people on this planet. I love you and enjoy yourself." Judy says and hangs up before she can get an objection from Lacey.

Lacey went to the restroom and then quickly checked her reflection in the mirror. She thought she still looked great. She hoped she didn't take too long and have him wondering where she was. She quickly finished and walked back to the table where Danny was patiently waiting for her. He stood when she arrived and she appreciated that. "I'm so sorry about that." Lacey says as she sits down.

"Don't worry about it. How is she?" He asks sincerely.

Lacey smiled at his question. "She's fine. She sang to me and lied about being sleepy even though she yawned. She told me about her dinner of dino nuggets and trees." She beams and notices the look on Danny's face at 'trees'. "Broccoli. She calls broccoli trees." She adds as an explanation.

Danny smiled. "That is really cute. Kids are great. Their innocence and honesty is refreshing." He says. "Are you ready for that dance now?" He wonders.

"Yes. I was hoping you hadn't changed your mind." She says and smiles at the gorgeous gentleman in front of her. She was liking him more and more.

He stood and walked around to pull out her chair for her and offered her his hand. He was really making her feel special. She wondered who taught him to treat women that way. They walked to the dance floor and swayed to the jazz music that they both loved. They danced quietly for a while until Danny felt like it was time for them to leave. "Are you ready to leave? I kind of want to be alone with you. Not that kind of alone, but I think you know what I mean." Danny says.

"Yes, I know what you mean. Do you want to go back to my place?" Lacey asks almost quietly.

"I do." Danny says and is glad that she offered instead of him asking to come in when he dropped her off or asking her to come to his place. They walked back to the table and sat for a minute to wait for the check. When their waitress put it on the table and Lacey reached for it, Danny stopped her. "Don't you dare. This is on me." He says and happily pays the check and leaves a nice tip. He would feel like less of a man if this woman, a single mother, paid for his food. That would never sit right with him. He got up and walked around the table to escort Lacey from her seat. He grabbed her hand on the way out and continued to hold it until they got to his car. He again opened the door for her and Lacey was starting to feel like she was floating. She hasn't been treated like trash, but she hasn't been treated that nicely before either.

Danny just drove to Lacey's house as they continued to chat quietly and effortlessly. When they entered the house, Lacey got the feeling of missing her Baby Bird, but put it out of her mind. She was going to enjoy the rest of her time with Danny. She deserved to. "Make yourself at home. I'll be back in a flash. I really need to take this dress off." Lacey says and smiles and hopes he didn't think she meant something else by it. She would love to invite him to her bedroom, but she wouldn't do that on the day she met him and after their first date.

"Sure. I'll be waiting." He says and walks over to sit on her sofa. He instantly felt right at home.

Lacey hurried up the stairs and almost ripped her dress off while she kicked her pumps off. She dressed in a pair of leggings and an oversized tee-shirt. He already knew she cleaned up well. No need to fake it. She put on her fabulously comfortable slippers and hurried back downstairs. She turned on her radio to a nice jazz station and settle on the sofa beside him. "Do you want something to drink or anything?" She offered.

"Nah, I'm good. I had a really great time tonight, Lacey." Danny states truthfully.

"I did too. Thank you for a great first date." She says and smiles.

"You said first date. So there will be a second date, right?" Danny wonders.

"Of course there will be a second date. Hopefully a third and a fourth as well. I like going on dates with you." Lacey admits and then smiles.

"Great. I like going on dates with you too." Danny says.

"Ok, we're going to have something called 'Get to know you better hour'. No question is off-limits, but you can have one that you can choose not to answer. What do you say?" Lacey says and smiles.

"I think that's doable." Danny says and hopes it goes smoothly. He just hopes she doesn't ask him the one question that's hard for him to answer.

"I'll be right back." Lacey says and hops off the couch and walks quickly to the kitchen. She comes back out with a pad and two pens. "If you don't want to write, you don't have to. I just think it will be easier this way. We can start with 5 questions."

"it's fine." He says and gets to writing. "We can exchange papers and just answer them."

Lacey smiles. "You're thinking how I'm thinking." Lacey says and gets to writing as well after a few minutes, they exchange papers.

"Ladies first." Danny says and smiles.

Lacey reads her questions: What do you do for fun? Are you an early morning person or a late night person? What kind of movies do you like watching? What's your favorite vacation destination? Do you always look this good? She actually laughs at the last one. "Well, I like movies, bowling and swimming. I also like playing at the park for fun. I'm more of an early morning person, though I can hang when I need to. I like everything from horror to action. I hate westerns though. I love to go anywhere warm and tropical. New York isn't that tropical, so that's why. And I try." Lacey says and laughs. Danny does too.

Danny reads his questions: What do you do after work every day? Do you have a childhood memory that makes you smile every time you think of it? What kind of music do you listen to? What's your idea of a good time/conversation? What kind of movies do you like watching? "Well, I watch some sort of sport every day after work. I can't help myself. I smile when I think of playing soccer with my father. I like everything, mostly jazz and blues. I don't like country music. At all. My idea of a good time is listening to live music, bowling as well, and just spending time with great people. I like all movies, except for foreign films with subtitles. I do like westerns, but I know I can't watch them with you." Danny says and smiles.

"Are you always this charming?" Lacey asks out of nowhere as she stares at him.

"No. This is just for you." He says and smiles. Lacey doesn't know if he's telling the truth, but she doesn't really care.

"Are you ready for some more 'sexy' questions?" Lacey asks subtly as she slides closer to him on the sofa.

"Sure." Danny replies and lets his eyes linger on hers.

"Which part of your body is the most ticklish?" Lacey asks with a straight face.

"I'm not ticklish." Danny says. "How about you?"

"My stomach. I can touch it myself, but if anyone else does, I'm a bucket of giggles. "Have you ever had a one-night-stand?" She asks casually.

He looked at her for a moment. "Yes." Danny felt like it was best he told the truth.

"I have too. Not recently though." She admits.

"Have you ever provided sexual favors to get anything in return, money or some other benefit?" Danny asks and stares at her.

Lacey laughed at his question. "Are you asking me that because I offered to sleep with you to knock the price down?" She asks.

"Yes. I was just kidding to see what you would say." Danny says and smiles.

"Great answer. No, I never have though. I told you I was kidding earlier. I'd sleep with you because I want to." She blurts out and thinks of a quick question to ask him. " Would you pose nude for playboy if they offered you $1,000,000?" Lacey asks playfully.

"I'd do it for less." Danny says and they both laugh. "If your boss promised you the promotion you were very keen to get but insisted that you spend a weekend with him, pleasing him sexually, would you agree?" He asks and subtly slides closer to her.

"Only if you were my boss." Lacey says and grins at him.

"Have you ever had sex on the first date?" Danny asks and hopes she doesn't smack him or put him out.

"No, not on the first date. Not even on the second one. I'd do other things on a third date just to let you know." Lacey says and smiles at him again. .

She looks at the time and sees that it's after midnight. They had spent that much time talking and sharing. "It's a new day, Danny." She says softly.

"Really? It's that late?" He questions.

"Yes. We spent that much time talking and getting to know each other better. That's amazing. Was our trip to _Lowes _our first date?" She asks as her eyes bore into his.

"Yes." He says, reading her mind.

"Then dinner was our second date. Correct?" Lacey asks, still with the same look on her face.

"Correct." Danny answers. "Is this our third date then?" He wonders.

"Yes." She says and slides even closer to him on the sofa.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Hello everyone. Here's an update. I'm totally on the fence about how I feel about it. I swear the good stuff is coming. Don't fight me because I haven't done Friendmance yet lol. It's coming next. I promise. I've gotta pay my Leah Rose some attention too.**

**Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy. Reviews are hugs!**

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><p>Lacey continued to move closer to Danny on the couch and somehow managed to wind up in his lap. It felt good to her to have him wrap his arms around her as he pulled her even closer. She laid her head on his shoulder and felt extremely comforted. Her mother's words of telling her that she needed a man in her life rang out through her head. She felt natural and free with this man and she loved that he was ok with Clara. She still had to see how she would react to him, but that wasn't happening just yet. She wouldn't push him on her, or her on him. But them getting along was a necessity.<p>

She really seemed to relax in his arms and thought of all the other first dates she had. They're usually awkward, though she has had some good ones in the past. She has met someone and then went out with them the same day. But this felt different. She felt familiar with Danny which didn't make any sense to her. She felt so comfortable around him and now in his arms. She wondered if that meant they were moving too fast, if it was meant to be, or it was just the calm before the storm.

She started thinking that she had jumped the gun and put her foot in her mouth telling him that she'd do more things on a third date. She liked Danny. Really liked him and wanted to see more of him. She didn't want to rush things because again her mother's words rang through her mind about her needing a man in her life. Her mother also said Clara needed a man in her life and she realized that that had to be a hard thing for her mother to say considering that it was her son that is Clara's father and died. She knew that Judy didn't think anyone could replace her son, but he was gone forever. Clara had two strong, solid women in her life with Lacey and Judy and now needed a man since her father was gone. Lacey was very aware of that fact and didn't want to mess it up and have it end before it started.

She also struggled with when to introduce Danny and Clara. She didn't want to do it too soon and confuse Clara. She didn't want to wait too long and she really started to fall for Danny and Clara didn't like him. Then she would have to end a great relationship because Clara 100% came first. No exceptions, no bargaining, no way. She cared less about Danny not liking her because she was fairly certain that he really meant what he said about liking and not having a problem with children. Plus Clara was adorable and lovable and it would be his loss to not want to be a part of her life. Just thinking about her and the way she sang made her heart smile.

Lacey decided to break up the comfortable silence with words. She felt so good in his arms and it would kill her to lead him on. She didn't know if he was waiting on her to make the first move or if he was just enjoying himself like she was. "This really feels great." She says and shifted slightly on his lap. She was just a little relieved that he wasn't aroused from her sitting on his lap. She realized that she wasn't aroused either, but she was simply content.

"It really does. I really enjoyed our date, Lacey. I can't wait to do it again." He replies honestly.

"I really enjoyed our date too. I really can't wait to do it again either." Lacey counters just as honestly. "Can I say something that I hope doesn't upset you?" She wonders as she takes her head from his shoulder and looks at him.

"As long as you're honest, I won't get upset. What do you have to tell me?" Danny asks thinking that he didn't want to ruin their cuddling moment with turning it into something sexual. Even though sex would be great, it wouldn't be in this situation. They had just met and enjoyed their date and chartered into territory that most single and average adults did, but he could definitely wait to go there with her.

"I think I added an unnecessary dark cloud over our date saying that I would do more on our third date. I wasn't offering to sleep with you, but now after just sitting here in your arms, I realized that we shouldn't go there. I really like you and don't want to go there too soon. I'm sorry if you think I've led you on." Lacey states and waits for his response to what she just said.

Danny was instantly relieved and exhaled. "Lacey, it's perfectly ok that you feel that way. I feel the same way too. You're worth respecting and waiting for. I get that you need to see how your daughter and I get along before you really start something with me. I promise I get that and I'm here for it." He says sincerely.

Lacey felt great at him calling Clara her daughter. She really did. It takes some getting used to referring to Clara as her daughter, but she is. Danny is the first person to call her that. She loved that. "I really appreciate that. I really appreciate you calling her my daughter. I'm still getting used to the idea of that. Hearing you call her that makes me like you even more." She admits and puts her head back on his shoulder.

Danny really loved just having Lacey snuggling in his arms. He really liked this woman and was glad that they were on the same page. He knew that they were sexually attracted to each other but that could wait. He felt great about waiting because he knew that it meant that he really liked her as a person. Plus he had her child to think about. He didn't want to run in and out of either of their lives. He knew that he was getting a packaged deal with Lacey and he was ok with it. She was the first woman he dated with a child, so he never really had to think about it before. Now he had one, and he was there for the ride. Clara had already lost a father and he didn't think a three-year old would understand another man disappearing from her life. He totally understood that Lacey didn't just bring an onslaught of men around Clara because they rejected the idea before they even got anywhere with her. He couldn't understand how anyone could just reject either of them without getting to know them. Yes children were a big deal, but he was all for exploring that. He wanted to be a father one day. And while he wasn't necessarily thinking that he'd be an instant step father, he knew it was a possibility. He wasn't trying to marry Lacey tomorrow, or even a year from now. But she was a great woman and he'd be a fool to let her get away. He knew he was moving fast with his thinking, but for some reason it didn't feel strange to him. Instant attraction wasn't weird. Thinking about the future wasn't weird either. He was a thinker and a planner. He had to be to run a successful business. And while Lacey wasn't a business, she was a great treasure that came along in his life and showed him what he wasn't even thinking that he wanted or needed, but he couldn't pass up or go without.

"Everything makes me like you even more. You're a great woman, Lacey. I feel the need to protect that and you at all costs." Danny says as he rubs her arm.

"I know I already asked you, but are you always this charming?" She says and chuckles lightly.

"I told you this is all for you. You're special."

"I think you're special too, Danny." Lacey says and then unconsciously yawns. "I'm sorry."

"Am I boring you, Lacey?" Danny asks and chuckles. He's feeling a little tired as well, but reluctant to end his evening with her. But now that he sees that she's sleepy, he'll go home. He had no intentions of spending the night. He knew he'd at least see her on Monday.

"I'm really sorry. No, you're not boring me. I'm just so relaxed and that brought out how tired I am." Lacey states as an apology.

Danny kissed her on her forehead. "I should go." He says.

Lacey fake whines. "Five more minutes." She says and smiles up at him with her eyes closed.

"I could probably stay for five more hours, but you're tired and I should go." Danny says. Lacey opened her eyes and stared into his. "Alright, five more minutes." He says as he relents. He somehow pulled he closer in his arms and she intertwined her fingers in his. They just sat like that in silence for what they thought might be five minutes.

"Ok. You can go now." Lacey begrudgingly says as she climbs out of his lap and stood before him on the couch.

Danny stood as well and there was little space between them. He gave Lacey a closed mouthed smile and she reached up to hug him. They both savored the hug and then reluctantly broke it. They both walked over to the door. "When will I see you again?" He wonders as they linger at the front door.

"I guess Monday. I have to give you a check, remember? Plus I have to get the key made that I forgot to do earlier." She says and then smiles.

"Great. I'll see you Monday. Good night, Lacey." Danny says and leans down to kiss her on her cheek. He wanted to wait for a kiss on the lips.

"Good night, Danny." Lacey says and opens the door. Danny kissed her on the cheek again and left her house. Lacey shut the door and felt a little dreamy after her night with Danny. She kept thinking how much she liked him. Even though she wanted to take things slow, she was silently wishing they were at the stage in their relationship where he could spend the night. In due time. She really locked up and settled her house for the night by turning off the soft music that was still playing and turning off the lights. She retreated to her bedroom and got ready for bed. She was tired but that didn't stop her from thinking about Danny as she settled in her bed. She replayed their first meeting and their interactions throughout the day, their first date and the time they spent talking and cuddling. She hadn't had a first date that nice in a long time. She continued to replay their evening in her mind and drifted off to sleep imagining how his lips felt on hers instead of on her cheek.

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><p>Danny drove home, happy and content with the way his date with Lacey went. He really enjoyed himself and knew that without a doubt, he was right about her. He knew instantly that she was the kind of woman he could spend his future with. He was a good judge of character and exceptionally good at reading people. It made him thinking about where things could go a lot easier and not at all weird to him. He knew that her having a child would essentially change things, but he didn't look at that as a bad thing. He couldn't. Just the way he saw her face light up when she talked about her little girl, made him see her having a child as a good thing.<p>

He just drove home with her on his mind and thoughts of when he would see her again. She said Monday and he really couldn't wait for that. He liked this woman and wasn't going to let her get away. She liked him too and he was glad that he met her. He was glad that she bought that mess of a house that he couldn't wait to get started on. He had never been that excited to start working on a house before. He did that effortlessly, but this just seemed and was different to him. He started thinking of how he wanted to do a perfect job for her. He already knew he was good at what he did, but he felt like he had to do his best work on Lacey's house.

He pulled up in front of his house that he did deem as the perfect job and went inside. He went straight to his bedroom and started to wind down. He had the feeling of wanting to call Lacey just to hear her voice again, but it was so late. He decided against it though he wanted to. He repeated his earlier notions of laying in his bed and thinking about Lacey. He too slowly drifted off thinking about how he wished that he had kissed her on the lips instead of her cheek.

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><p>The next morning, Lacey awoke happy and refreshed. She actually got to sleep in like she usually can't because of work and Clara. She felt extremely well rested. She was also hungry and missing her little girl. She got out of her bed and started to focus on the things she needed to do that day. She fixed herself a quick breakfast, and then started her housework. She missed not having Clara around to insist on helping her. She really didn't have much to do because the house was already clean. She just straightened up the kitchen, dusted, and did the floors. She didn't have to put away Clara's toys since she really hadn't been there the entire weekend. She did have laundry to do and missed having Clara try to help her fold. She was such a sweet little girl and really made Lacey happy. Lacey knew she had to go to the grocery store, but she would save that until after she picked up Clara. Maybe she'd take her to the park first.<p>

Lacey showered and dressed and just drove straight to her mother's house. She missed both of them even though she had just seen them the day before. She really got into the habit of spending more time with her mother since her brother died. Him dying so suddenly like that made her not take her for granted. Losing her brother was horrible, but her mother lost her son. Lacey couldn't imagine how that felt. She knew Clara didn't understand Mommy and Daddy were gone and not coming back. Even she didn't understand it. Losing a loved one is a horrible that to comprehend.

She pulled up in front of her mother's house and headed for the door. She quietly let herself in and called out so she wouldn't scare the two. "Mom. Baby Bird. I'm here." She says and goes to sit on the sofa. She heard Clara's little footsteps and then her running in from the kitchen. She looks ridiculously cute in her Sunday dress that she wore to church with Judy.

"Hi, Mama." Clara says as she runs over to hug Lacey.

"Hi, Baby Bird. I missed you." Lacey says as she hugs her tight and kisses her cheek.

"I missed you." Baby Bird says and smiles.

Judy came walking in from the kitchen right behind her, still wearing her Sunday best as well. "Hi, Lacey. We just got here not that long ago." She says as she greets her daughter and walks over to sit on the sofa with her.

"How was church?" Lacey wonders as Clara climbs into her lap.

"It was great, as usual. Birdie was the perfect little angel. She tried to sing along with the choir. The director things we should put her in the youth choir. What do you think?" Judy states and smiles at her two favorite people.

"I think that's a great idea. She loves to sing. Don't you, Baby Bird?" Lacey asks.

"Yes, Mama." Clara answers and smiles, looking like a little Lacey.

"Clara, go up to your room and play for a little while me and Granny talk." Lacey says and gives her a kiss on her cheek.

"Ok, Mama." She says and then zooms up the stairs.

"How did she sleep?" Lacey asks once she knows Clara can't hear her.

"Good. No nightmares. She wondered where you were this morning, but she wasn't in a panic about it." Judy answers

"Good. It has really been a while since she has had a nightmare. I was just making sure they didn't return since she wasn't home. Hopefully, she's done with those."

"So, how was the rest of your date?" Judy wonders.

"Great. It went really great. He's such a nice guy. I really enjoyed myself. He didn't mind when I had to take you guys' phone call. He encouraged me to call Clara. I really like him." Lacey says and grins.

Judy grins as well. "That's wonderful, honey. I told you that you needed a man in your life. Any man that tells you that is a keeper. What's his name?"

"Danny Desai." Lacey says and starts to beam.

"Danny Desai. Let me guess, tall, dark, and handsome?" Judy says and then laughs.

"Yes. He's biracial. Indian and White, but he mostly looks Indian. You should see his hair." Lacey says and giggles.

"Sounds like a hunk. When are you going out again?" Judy question.

"I don't know. I have to meet him tomorrow about the house. Maybe next weekend? He didn't say specifically, but he knows I'm busy during the week."

"I guess I'm keeping my Birdie again." Judy says and smiles.

"I guess so. I don't know when I should introduce them. I don't want to confuse her." Lacey states honestly.

"I understand, but you don't have to introduce him as a permanent fixture in your lives. Just say he's your friend. Birdie is very intuitive. Just don't kiss him in front of her or have him walking around the house just yet. But just introducing them is fine. What if you wait and Birdie doesn't like him? Then you'll have wasted all that time." Judy states with motherly wisdom.

"You're right. I hope Birdie does like him, because I do. If she doesn't then he has to go. She comes first." Lacey admits truthfully.

"It's good that you have her to judge him. Nobody is more honest than kids." Judy says and smiles. She then just studies Lacey for a moment. "You seem happy and worried." She observes correctly.

"I am. I'm happy, but I don't want it to be short-lived. I really like this guy, Mom. He told me he has friends with kids Clara's age that she can play with. I just can't help but think that something will go wrong."

"You need to let go of what happened with you and John. I know him just breaking up with you when you adopted Birdie was devastating and hurt you, but it's his loss. That makes him look bad. Not you. Stop thinking that this new guy will be the same way." Judy says to comfort and reassure her daughter.

"I know, but he talked a good game before then. I don't want another man to just disappear from our lives. I have to be cautious." Lacey confesses.

"I know you do. But I'm here for you. Take a chance with this new guy. You never know what could happen." Judy says sincerely and smiles at Lacey again.

"I hope so. Thanks for the talk, Mom." Lacey says and stands. "Let me go help Birdie change her clothes. I was thinking of taking her to the park, and then we're going to the grocery store." She says and heads for the stairs. She walks up to the room Clara has in Judy's house. She finds her playing with her doll house. Lacey walks over and sits on the floor with her. "What are you doing, Baby Bird?"

"Playing in the house. Can you take me to the swings?" Clara asks as she continues to play.

Lacey giggled because she already had the idea to do that. "Yes. We can go to the swings. Then we have to go to the market. First, you have to change your pretty dress so we can go."

"Ok, Mama." Clara says and stands. Lacey unzipped her dress and got her outfit for the day, blue jeans and a pink tee-shirt and pink Converse's. As usual, Clara tried to dress herself and even though she knows how to tie her shoes, Lacey always doubles them. You kind of have to with kids.

Lacey loved how easy it was getting Clara to comply. Some days weren't that great, but for the most part, Clara cooperated. She was going on four years old and Lacey couldn't wait for her to start school. She thinks she's looking forward to that more than Clara. She just hoped that she didn't have many issues on her first day. She had a little bit of a hard time leaving her at day care because she would cry thinking that Lacey wouldn't come back. That was from her parents never coming back and she latched on to Lacey. It took a lot of hard work with the therapist, but they got there. She stopped fearing Lacey wouldn't come back.

"Are you ready to go, Baby Bird?" Lacey asks in her sing-song voice.

"Yes, Mama. We going to the swings now?" Clara asks. The swings are her favorite things at the park.

"Yes. You have to give Granny a kiss goodbye first." Lacey says as Clara bolts from the room and runs down the stairs. Lacey straightens up the room and packs Clara's bag to leave. She went downstairs and found Clara sitting on Judy's lap.

"Have your mama call me later and you can sing for me. Ok, Birdie?" Judy says and then tickles her.

She's too busy giggling to answer, but she gets something out. "Ok, Granny." She says and continues to laugh.

"Well, thanks for everything Mom. We'll call you later. Give Granny a kiss." Lacey says and walks over to her mother and Birdie.

Clara plants a huge kiss on Judy's cheek and her face lights up. "Bye, Birdie. Granny loves you." Judy says and kisses her back. Lacey leans down to kiss Judy on her cheek too.

"Love you too, Granny. Bye!" Clara says and runs for the door.

"Bye, Mom. Love you." Lacey states and walks over to the door with Clara. She buckles her in her seat and heads for the park near her house. She and Clara have fun there before they head to the grocery store. Lacey knew she had to get Clara's snacks ready for the week. She also needed to figure out what to fix for dinner. She decided to let Clara decide. "Baby Bird, what do you want for dinner?" Lacey asked the miniature version of herself glued to her side.

"Mac n cheese." Clara exclaims happily. Mac n cheese can easily be considered her favorite food next to fruit pancakes.

Lacey decided that she liked Clara's idea for dinner. She'd fix that as the main dish and have either string beans or broccoli since Clara loves it so. "That's a good idea, Baby Bird. What do you want to go with it?" She wonders.

"Trees." Clara says and Lacey starts to laugh. She knows her child well.

"Broccoli, Baby Bird. It's called broccoli." Lacey says to correct her.

"It looks like trees." Clara counters and Lacey continues to laugh. She can't argue with that.

"They do look like trees." Lacey says as she relents. She and Clara keep walking along and shopping when she hears a familiar voice speak to her.

"Hello, Lacey." Danny says as he stops in the aisle and smiles at her.

Lacey blushed and then smiled when she looked up at Danny. Just running into him made her happy. "Hello, Danny." She replies. She immediately turned towards Clara and looked down at her. "Clara, this is my friend, Danny."

Danny crouched down to Clara's height and smiled at her. "Hi, Clara. I'm Danny." He says sincerely in a kind voice.

"Hi." Clara says and giggles. She then shocked Danny and Lacey by reaching forward and hugging Danny. Lacey didn't know what to think of that, since she didn't expect Clara to do that. Lacey felt her heart rate pick up at Danny hugging Clara back. Clara let him go first and just stood there smiling.

Lacey watched the exchange and really couldn't believe it happened. Danny stood back up and smiled at Lacey. They just stood there and locked eyes for a moment until Lacey spoke. "What are you doing here?" She asks though it's a stupid question.

"Just doing a little shopping. I guess you're doing the same thing." He says and continues to stare at her.

"Yup. I have to get Clara's snacks ready and buy things for dinner." Lacey says and then feels Clara tug on her hand. "Yes, Clara?" She asks as she looks down at her. Clara tugs some more and then Lacey bends down.

Clara whispers in Lacey's ear. "His hair is pretty." She says and then giggles.

"Yes, it is pretty." Lacey agrees and goes to stand back up.

Clara tugs again. "Can he eat mac n cheese with me and you, Mama?" She asks in her ear again.

Lacey really didn't expect Clara to ask her that. She didn't know if she should tell her no. She felt confused. Danny looked at the expression on Lacey's face and wondered what was wrong. "Is everything ok?" Danny questions in concern.

"Clara wants to know if you can eat mac n cheese with us." Lacey replies and smiles, despite feeling uncomfortable. She was shocked that Clara asked that. Lacey didn't know if she wanted Danny to say yes or no. Her mother told her not to have him walking around the house, but Clara just invited him to dinner. She felt torn, but then decided that it might be ok. Friends have dinner together all the time.

Danny leaned forward and whispered in Lacey's ear. "Is it ok if I say yes?" He wonders. He didn't just want to accept and put Lacey in a tough spot just by accepting Clara's invitation. He smiled and leaned back when Lacey nodded. "I'd love to." He replies and smiles down at Clara who blushed and smiled, looking like a little Lacey. Danny already liked Clara. She gave him a hug and he could already tell that she was a sweet little girl. "Do I need to bring anything?" He questions as he stares at Lacey deep into her eyes.

"Nope, just yourself." Lacey says and smiles widely. She was glad that Clara took an instant liking to Danny. It would certainly make things easier.

Danny just looked at Lacey and her precious little girl and realized that he had to tell Lacey a story that's hard for him to remember and to even talk about.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Hello everyone. Here's an update. I had a burst of feels about this fic. I hope you all enjoy it. **

**I'm sending a huge hug to the people still sticking with me by reading and liking my stories. I've lost a few folks and some of you know why. I really think that's sad, but what can I do about it?**

**Here's a shameless plug because there still seems to be some confusion. I updated Friendmance yesterday. **

**Thank you for reading. Reviews are hugs. **

* * *

><p>Danny continued to stare at Lacey and her unbelievably cute and sweet little girl. He just loved and was touched that she gave him a hug. He still couldn't get over how much she looked like Lacey. She was like a miniature version of her. She even had a dimple too, but hers was on the other side. She's Lacey's niece biologically, but she's definitely Lacey's twin and child. No doubt about that. He couldn't believe that she invited him to dinner. He wondered what else she whispered to Lacey in her ear. She was too cute for words and he couldn't wait to have dinner with them.<p>

He also knew that he had to tell Lacey about his past. Before she found out from someone else and thought that he was keeping things from her and she thought the worst of him when she found out. They had only been on one date, but he wanted many more dates with her. He was about to have dinner with her at her house. That was a date to him. Even if Clara was there. He didn't mind sharing and spending his time with her. He knew he was getting Lacey and Clara when he first met Lacey and that wasn't going to change. He didn't want it to. He liked and adored that precious little girl already. He didn't think that he had a choice in the matter.

He then just stared at Lacey and how beautiful he thought she was. Somehow, she seemed more beautiful to him when she was with her little girl. Like she had this motherly glow about her. He has heard people talk about that with pregnant or women that just had babies, but never really paid it any attention. But it was true in Lacey's case. He thought it was weird and then decided that it really wasn't. He was just simply drawn and attracted to Lacey. It was natural for him to see her beauty. She was one of those women that was beautiful inside and out. Her taking her niece in and raising her as her own made her incredibly beautiful to him. Not many people would do that.

Danny pulled himself from his trance and decided to ask Lacey a question. "Are you sure that I don't need to bring anything? Because I can. I can bring juice or something for this little lady. Or dessert. I can bring that." He offers and really can't wait to have dinner with them. Clara giggled at him calling her a little lady.

"No, you really don't have to. But if you insist on bringing something, then you can." Lacey says and smiles at the man she likes more and more. She liked him even more because Clara seemed to like him too. Children are the most honest people in the world. They either like you or they don't and it's hard to fake it with them. Clara didn't just cling to or like anyone, especially since her biological parents died. She was naturally close to Lacey and Judy, but that was it. She was close to one of the women at her preschool/day care, but didn't latch on to people. She thought that they would leave her. So for her to just hug Danny and want him to come and eat dinner with her and Lacey was very telling.

"Great. I'll figure something out. What time do you want me to come?" He asks as he looks from Lacey to Clara.

Lacey picked up on and appreciated him engaging Clara as well. She know how it felt to have men ignore her like she wasn't even there. She didn't like that at all. He didn't just ask Clara anything without her permission first. She appreciated that as well. All in all, Danny seemed to be doing an awesome job and she was enjoying every minute of it. She still needed to talk to her mother about it. She didn't really know what to do in this situation because it's so foreign to her. She didn't want to make any huge mistakes concerning Clara. She had her welfare and well-being to account for. "I think you can come over around 6 because Clara goes to bed at 8." Lacey smiled and looked down at the still smiling Clara. She seemed to not be able to take her eyes off Danny. "Don't you, Baby Bird?" Lacey asks as she lightly squeezed her little hand.

"Yes, Mama." Clara says and giggles again. She covered her face when she saw Danny smile at her. He thought it was sweet the way she called Lacey 'Mama'.

"Ok. Well, I'll let you two finish shopping and I'll see you at your house at 6." Danny says and smiles again.

Lacey smiled at him as well. "Ok. See you at 6." She says and walks off with her little twin by her side.

Clara stopped and turned around. "Bye!" She says and waved at Danny.

Danny was quite tickled by that. "Bye, Clara." He says and finishes his shopping. He and Lacey managed to run into each other in aisles again and Clara waved at him every time. He always smiled and waved back. Lacey saw him approach the checkout lines before she did and she continued her shopping. She had to make sure she got the fruit that Clara loved to eat and also her trees. Lacey would always think her calling broccoli trees as the cutest thing ever.

Lacey got what she needed at the store and drove herself and her Baby Bird home. She sent Clara to go play in her room while she called her mother. She needed a huge dose of motherly advice, and no one could give it like Judy could. She knew that Judy would never steer her wrong even if she told her something that she didn't like. She trusted her mother fully. With anything and everything.

Judy answered after two rings. "Hello? Is my Birdie ready to sing for me already?" She asks and chuckles.

"Hey, Mom. No, not yet. I really need to talk to you." Lacey says almost frantically.

Judy picks up on Lacey's voice and grows concerned. "What's wrong, Lacey?" She wonders, sounding almost as frantic as Lacey just sounded.

"Well, Clara and I ran into Danny at the grocery store. I introduced him to Clara as my friend. He squatted down to her height and said hi to her. She reached forward to give him a hug. She tugged on my hand and whispered in my ear that his hair was pretty and asked if he could eat mac n cheese with us. He asked if it was ok before accepting. Am I doing the right thing, Mom? Should I have said no? I don't know what to do." Lacey says and exhales while she rubs her forehead.

"Clara did all of that? Really?" Judy asks almost incredulously.

"Yes, she did. I was shocked too. I had no idea she would do that when she met him." Lacey states and thinks back to the exchange.

"Well, I don't think you did the wrong thing by letting him come over. I think it's great that she already likes him and is comfortable enough to hug him and say what she said. I told you that nobody is more honest than kids. There's a reason that she likes him and wants him to come over. I still think that you shouldn't kiss him or anything in front of her. It's perfectly fine for her to see you have dinner with your friend. She's a very intuitive child. I'm glad that she likes him already. Imagine how you would have felt if she didn't take to him, or cried or something? So, no. I really don't think you did a bad thing by accepting. It's too soon for him to spend the night and be over there like he lives there though. I don't think you'd do that, I'm just offering my opinion." Judy says.

"You know that I'm not going to do that. I'm glad she likes him too, Mom. It made my heart smile the way he focused on her too while we were talking and didn't just ignore her like she wasn't there. He offered to bring her juice or dessert. You should have seen her giggle when he called her a little lady. When we were walking away, she turned back around and said Bye to him. We kept seeing him while we were shopping and Clara would wave at him and he waved back and smiled every time. That instantly made me like him even more." Lacey admits truthfully.

"I haven't even met him and I already like him more. He makes my Birdie and you happy, so he's alright in my book. You said that Clara said his hair was pretty? What does it look like?" Judy wonders and chuckles.

"Long, a little past is shoulders. It's wavy and dark. When I first met him it was in a bun. He had it out when we went on our date and when I saw him today. I've never dated a guy who had better hair than mine." Lacey admits and she and Judy laugh like old friends. They both loved each other dearly and loved having heart to heart talks. They weren't just mother and daughter, they were best friends. They were always close, but got closer after losing Clarence. Lacey was determined to have an even better relationship with Clara, if that was even possible.

"Sneak a picture of him and send it to me when he comes over." Judy says and she and Lacey laugh again.

"I'll try. I don't want him to think I'm weird or that I'm going to stare at his picture after he leaves." Lacey confesses.

"But you are going to do that." Judy jokes. "What are you fixing for dinner?"

"Clara wants mac n cheese and trees." Lacey says and laughs at her adorable three-year old.

"You're going to fix it from scratch, right? Don't give him that boxed stuff. I want more grandchildren." Judy says happily and sadly. She knows her son can't give her anymore. She's making her peace with that, but she's glad that her son had a child before he died. It would have made losing him harder for her somehow.

"No, I'm not giving him the boxed stuff. I already told the man that I love to cook. He'll think I was lying to him." Lacey says and shakes her head at her mother.

"What else did you tell him?" Judy wonders.

"I told him a lot of things actually. We talked about a lot of different things and found out a lot about each other. We have some things in common. His father died and his mother's name is Karen. He owns his own business. He's a great guy and I'm glad that I met him. I'm happy that Clara likes him too." Lacey says.

"Did you tell him that you haven't had sex in over a year since that trash dumped you?" Judy asks and knows that her question shocks Lacey.

"Mom. No, I didn't tell him that. I didn't even tell him about John. I just told him how some men acted about me being a single mother and that that was a deal breaker. Clara and I are a packaged deal. He said that it wasn't a problem and that he loved children. I thought that he may have just been saying that to get closer to me, but I really believe him." Lacey says and smiles just thinking about how much she likes him.

"Well, when you're ready to tell him, you know I'll keep Birdie. Don't sleep with him too soon though. Make him wait for it." Judy suggests.

Lacey loves that she can talk to her mother about anything, but this conversation is starting to make her uncomfortable. "Ok, Mom. Hold on a sec." Lacey says and calls Clara. She comes hurrying down the stairs.

"Yes, Mama?" She asks in the sweetest voice Lacey will ever hear.

"Are you ready to sing for Granny?" Lacey asks.

"Yes, Mama." Clara asks and Lacey hands the phone to her. "Hi, Granny." She says and starts to sing her favorite song. Lacey is just tickled pink at hearing her sing. It never gets old and is literally music to her ears. Clara finishes singing her favorite part, mainly the one that she can remember easily.

"That was great Birdie. You are the best singer. Granny loves you." Judy says and grins ear to ear. She loves that little girl more than she can describe.

"Love you, Granny. Bye!" Clara says and gives the phone back to Lacey. "Can I go and play some more, Mama?"

"Yes, Baby Bird. I'm going to fix dinner." Lacey says and smiles at her baby.

"Ok. Bye, Mama." Clara says and heads for the stairs. Lacey laughed and went back to the phone.

"I'm back." Lacey states as she walks toward the kitchen. She smiled at the vase of flowers Danny gave her the night before on her way inside.

"She makes me love being a grandmother more and more every day. She always makes me smile." Judy admits truthfully.

"I know what you mean. She makes my heart smile. Well, Mom. I need to start cooking. I will tell you how things went tomorrow." Lacey says as she stops at the sink.

"Ok. Have fun. Kiss my Birdie good night for me. I love you two." Judy says.

"I will. We love you." Lacey says and hangs up. She washes her hands and gets to making her homemade mac n cheese. She put about 5 different kinds of cheeses in hers and hoped that Danny liked it. She really did love to cook and was good at it. She didn't cook as much as she does now before Clara came to live with her. Now she cooked homemade meals all the time. She didn't want Clara to eat junk all the time. The good thing was Clara liked fruits and vegetables. Most kids hate broccoli and she loves it. Lacey worked her magic and made her crowd pleasing mac n cheese. She put it into the oven just as her phone went off. "Hello?" Lacey answers and was happy to hear that it was Phoebe.

"Hello, Lacey. How are you?" She questions.

"I'm great. Just fixing dinner. How are you?"

"I'm great too and doing the same thing. I just wanted to call you and find out how it went with the contractor I told you about." Phoebe says in her bubbly voice.

Lacey smiled just thinking about Danny. "It went great. I can't wait for him to get started on the house. It's going to cost me a pretty penny, but it's money well spent." She admits.

"Did you notice how hot he is?" Phoebe wonders and gets silent.

"What?" Lacey asks to try to avoid answering that question.

"I asked if you noticed how hot he is. All of the women that told me about him agree. They say he's good at what he does so that's a plus. Plus he isn't married." Phoebe says.

"I'm glad they say that he's good at what he does. I don't want my house to fall apart." Lacey says and avoids the discussion of him being hot. She wants to make Phoebe squirm a bit.

"So you did notice how hot he is. How's the hair? I heard it was great too." Phoebe says and then laughs.

"Ok, ok. I did notice how hot het is. The hair is awesome. Everything is awesome. That man is gorgeous." Lacey admits truthfully. She can't help but wish that he'd be all hers.

"Ha! I knew it. I knew you would think he was hot after so many women told me he was. Most of them are married, so they can only look. I'm glad I could help you out with someone good to work on your plumbing." Phoebe says.

"He's not a plumber, he's a contractor Phoebe." Lacey says and laughs. She loves Phoebe dearly. They really got to know each other and became fast friends after she showed Lacey nearly every house that was for sale in Green Grove.

"So? He might know how to lay pipes. It's all connected." Phoebe says.

"Phoebe! I can't believe you! I can't even believe you're talking this way." Lacey says, instantly catching on to what Phoebe is referring to.

Phoebe laughs at her own outrageousness. "Hey, you might as well get you a boy toy while you're at it. How's Clara?" She asks in wonderment.

"She's great. She's up in her room playing. How's the hubby?" Lacey wonders.

"He's fine. Watching a game, waiting on me to fix dinner since it's my turn. So when is he starting on the house?" Phoebe questions.

"Tomorrow. I have to go to the bank to get him a down payment to start the work. We went shopping so that he could find out my taste and style. He said he can take that wall down separating the kitchen from the dining and living room. He also said he could salvage the fireplace." Lacey says happily while imagining what her house will look like once he's finished.

"I told you. I know my stuff. I knew that wall could come down. Most people want that open concept now. And fireplaces. Well, most people love the gas or wood burning ones. I can't wait to see what it looks like once it's finished. You are having a housewarming, aren't you?" Phoebe asks.

"Yes. I can't wait to see it once it's finished either. Especially the fireplace. I just know Clara will love hanging her stocking there during Christmas. I'm so glad she's still young enough to believe in Santa Claus."

"I can't wait to have my own. We agreed to start trying in about 2 years. He wants to be done with school first so that I can take time off." Phoebe says referring to her husband who's going back to school to get his Master's Degree.

"That's great. I know you're going to be a great mom." Lacey says sincerely.

"Thanks. I appreciate the vote of confidence. You're already a great mom, so I hope I can be like you when I grow up." Phoebe says in a playful manner though she really means it.

"Thank you, Phoebe. You know that means a lot to me. I have to tell you something that you can't discuss with your other clients. At least not yet. It's not a secret, I just don't want it shared yet." Lacey says and waits. She knows that Phoebe would love to hear some gossip.

"You know I wouldn't discuss anything we talk about as friends." Phoebe admits truthfully.

"Well, the contractor, Danny, and I went out on a date last night." Lacey confesses happily.

"Really? That's great. He must really be hot if you asked him out."

"He is hot, but he asked me Mrs. Daly. He's coming over for dinner tonight." Lacey confesses again happily.

"Oh, wow. You two must have really hit it off. I'm assuming he knows about Clara then? How did you talk to him about it?" Phoebe questions.

"Yes, we really hit it off. He's an awesome guy. I told him about Clara and he doesn't have a problem with it. He said he loves children. I had to tell him about her when he asked me out and he was cool and very supportive about it. I ran into him at the grocery store, and Clara gave him a hug. She invited him to dinner. I'm so glad that she already likes him because I already like him." Lacey admits and smiles just thinking of how much she likes the new man in her life.

"That's really great, Lacey. I'm happy for you. I really hope that everything works out between you two. Having a child isn't a reason for you to be single." Phoebe says and really hopes that things work out for her friend.

"Thanks. I really hope everything works out between us too." Lacey says.

* * *

><p>Danny felt great as he walked away from Lacey and her little girl. He thought it was really cute the way she would wave at him each time they saw each other in the store. He already knew and thought that kids were great, but Clara just really touched him somehow. Maybe it had to do with how he felt about her mother, but he really liked that little girl. He had never pictured his own kids before, but he felt like he'd be lucky if he had a daughter like Clara one day.<p>

He drove home replaying their date and their moment at the grocery store in his mind. He actually kind of liked how coincidental and random it was that they just happened to be in the same place at the same time. He hoped Lacey didn't think he somehow arranged to run into her there accidentally on purpose. It was just simply a coincidence, though he took it as a sign. He wondered how long it would take for Lacey to introduce him and Clara and that she was probably worried about when to do it. He thought that something must have lined up the right way to cause them to just bump into each other. The greatest part about it was that Clara liked him. He thought that Lacey more than likely worried about that. Clara was a deal breaker for her and he was glad that that fear got eased.

Now he had fears of telling Lacey about his past. Particularly how she would feel about it. He didn't know if she would tell him that she didn't want to deal with him or have him around her child after she found out. He could just keep it to himself, but somehow he felt like he wanted to tell her because anything could happen. Honesty was always the best policy, and this was no exception. If it was too much for her to handle, at least he knew he did what he could in the matter. He never wanted her to think that he was keeping things from her.

He pulled up in front of his house and went in. He put away everything that he bought. He finished that and headed to his office. He had a few things to go over before he left for dinner at Lacey's house. He had orders to make for Lacey's house and wanted to get a jump-start on it. Some things were a given that he had to order, like drywall, nails, and plaster. He would have to go over more things with Lacey for the finished products. Since they were doing a complete renovation, there were a lot of things they had to go over. He was glad that Lacey was more than just his client because of the amount of time he had to spend with her. He made the order for the dumpsters since they were demolishing everything and taking down walls. He always considered that the fun part. It felt good to take a sledgehammer and tear down a wall.

Danny finished with that before he showered and just watched a game before he had to leave for Lacey's house. He was excited about their dinner date. He was excited to just spend more time with Lacey and Clara. He wondered what would happen after dinner. He doubted that he would be able to stay and talk with her like he did the night before. She had to get Clara ready for bed and they both had to work in the morning. He didn't know what time she had to be to work, but he had to wait on her to give him the key. He wasn't even worried about the check she was getting for him from the bank. Usually he would be apprehensive about starting a project before payment was received, but it didn't matter in this case. He honestly didn't even want to take her money. Sure he had a business to run, but since he really liked Lacey and connected with her, he felt like taking her money would be wrong. He didn't want to insult her by saying that because he knew she was strong and independent. It really was a mental thing for him. Lacey wasn't officially his woman, but he hoped she would be and felt like he shouldn't take money from his woman. Besides, he was rich and he didn't have to worry about money. Truth be told, he lowballed to her about the estimate because he already liked her.

He got engrossed in his game until around 5:30. Lacey didn't live that far from him and he didn't want to be late, so he got ready to leave. He grabbed what he was going to take to Lacey's and hopped in his car and drove to her house. He realized that he was driving to her house for the second time in two days and really hoped that he'd be making that drive a lot. He would always want to see her. He then started thinking about their next date that he hoped would happen either sometime that week, or the weekend.

Danny pulled up in front of Lacey's house and geared himself up to go in. He was a little early, but he thought that was better than being late. Especially when there was a child involved. He didn't want to be the reason her bedtime was interrupted. He rang her doorbell and was instantly happy at Lacey opening the door with adorable Clara standing beside her. "Sorry I'm a little early. And I know you told me not to bring anything, but I couldn't come empty-handed." Danny says and smiles then looks down at Clara who was smiling too. "Hello again, Clara."

"Hi." Clara says and waves.

"It's ok that you're a little early. It's not a problem. Thank you for the wine. We can use that later." Lacey says as she takes the bottle of wine from him and winked. "Come on in." She says and steps aside. Danny walked in and sat on the sofa. Lacey quickly walked back to the kitchen with Clara following closely behind. They both came back out and Clara came over and sat on the sofa next to him. Close, but not touching. Lacey went and sat in the chair across from them and smiled. "We'll be eating soon. I'm just letting it settle. I hope you like what's on the menu. It was all Clara's idea." Lacey says and grins.

"Well, I'll really like it since it was Clara's idea." Danny says as he looks over at her. Clara started to giggle. It seemed as if Danny's affect on the opposite sex didn't stop at just women. Clara seemed to light up more around him.

Lacey smiled at Clara's giggling. She can't say she can blame her. Danny was dreamy. She definitely got it. "Did you hear that, Baby Bird?" Lacey asks.

Clara giggled and bounced on the sofa. "Yes, Mama. Can we eat now?" She asks with childlike enthusiasm.

"Yes. Do you want to help me?" Lacey asks as she stands.

"Yes." She says and hops down off the sofa and zooms to the kitchen.

"She's really cute, Lacey." Danny admits truthfully.

"Thanks. She really is. I adore that little girl. Come on. You can sit at the table while we get everything ready." Lacey says.

"Do you need some help?" Danny asks as he stands.

"Nope. You're my guest. Plus I have my little helper." Lacey says and heads for the kitchen and Danny follows her to the dining room and sits down at the table. Once Lacey was in the kitchen with Clara, she took the rolls she had in the oven out and put them into a basket. "Can you take these out and put them on the table, Clara?" Lacey asks as she hands her the bread basket.

"Yes." Clara says and walks out to the table. She smiled at Danny when she put the basket on the table and zoomed back in to the kitchen.

Lacey was spooning Clara's trees into a bowl when Clara came back. She then gave her the butter to take out to the table. She loved how helpful Clara was. She just took it and disappeared without being told to do so. Lacey took out the broccoli herself. She too smiled at Danny when she put the bowl on the table. "Anything in particular you'd like to drink?" Lacey asks as she smiles at the fine hunk of man sitting at her table.

"I'll have whatever you're having." Danny answers and smiles.

Lacey went back into the kitchen where Clara was waiting for her. She was waiting for the next thing Lacey wanted her to do. "Can you get the cups for the iced tea and put ice in them, Baby Bird?" Lacey asks knowing she loves to do that. She loves getting ice from the automatic dispenser.

"Yes, Mama." Clara says and does just that. She was used to only getting two glasses, so that's what she got. She then remembered Danny and got his too. Lacey thought it was cute how she remembered on her own as she breezed past her after sitting the pitcher on the table.

Lacey grabbed the huge pan of mac n cheese and smiled down at her little angel. "Ready?" Lacey asks and Clara smiles, nods her head, and leads the way. Clara walked up to the table and sat in her usual chair that just happened to be next to Danny. Danny was a little happy that she wanted to sit next to him. He was liking Clara more and more. She was a little angel. "Clara, can you say Grace for us?" Lacey asks and smiles.

Clara clasped her hands and bowed her head and Danny and Lacey followed suit. "God is great, God is good, let us thank Him, for our food. Amen." She recited perfectly the way she was taught. They all opened their eyes.

Danny was a little touched at her saying Grace. He didn't consider himself to be a deeply religious person, but that made him smile. "You did a good job, Clara." He says. He felt the need to tell her that.

"Thank you." She says and smiles again.

Lacey started to put Clara's food on her plate and encouraged Danny to do the same. She then made her own. "I'm sorry there isn't a meat dish available, but this is what Clara wanted. I promise to fix some chicken or something next time." She says as she looks up at him.

"Lacey, this is fine. But I am looking forward to our next dinner." Danny says as she digs into his mac n cheese. He started thinking that it was the best mac n cheese he had ever had. He appreciated that Lacey could cook since he couldn't. He ate a lot of microwave meals and take out when he didn't go out to eat.

Clara started to eat her broccoli then started to watch Danny. "Do you like trees?" She asks in her cute tone.

"Broccoli, Clara." Lacey corrects her then laughs.

"They look like trees." Clara states like she always does.

Danny thought that was the cutest thing. "Yes, I like trees. And I agree, Clara. Broccoli does look like trees." He says and Clara lights up. "This mac n cheese is great. Clara, did you make it?"

Clara giggled. "No. Mama did."

"Mama did a good job." Danny says and smiles at Lacey. He winked when he saw that Clara wasn't looking at him.

"Thank you. I'm glad you like it. I hope you like apple crisp because that's what I made for dessert. Clara did help me with that." Lacey says.

"If Clara helped, then I know I'll love it." Danny says.

Clara smiled again for thousandth time. She looked at Danny and asked him a question. "Can I have some iced tea?" She asked almost quietly.

Danny and Lacey just looked at each other and Lacey gave him the go ahead. Clara was really surprising her with her actions. She acted like she had been around Danny many times before. Lacey had never seen her be that comfortable around a relative stranger before. Clara must really know that Danny is a good guy. "Sure." Danny says as he pours her some.

"Thank you." She says, always well-mannered.

Danny took that in as well and really thought that Lacey was doing an excellent job in raising her. He felt good about his initial though thinking that he could see Lacey as the mother of his children. He wondered if she wanted more of her own. He'd have to wait to ask her. He didn't want to scare her off. "You're welcome, Clara." Danny says and smiles at her. She seemed to get cuter and cuter by the minute.

"Do you like to color?" Clara asks.

"Yes. I like to color." Danny answers honestly.

"Can you color with me?" She asks as she stares at him.

Danny again looked up at Lacey for the ok to say yes. She playfully nodded at him but mouthed, "Not tonight" and smiled.

"Yes, I can color with you. But not tonight. Maybe one day when it isn't so late. Is that ok?" He wonders.

"Yes. You can use my crayons." Clara says and goes back to eating her trees.

Lacey laughed at Clara's antics again. She started thinking that Clara was acting that way because she really didn't have any men in her life. She was always surrounded by women, mainly her teachers and Lacey and Judy. She started remembering her mother telling her that Clara needed a man in her life, and that was really the case. For a second, Lacey had to think if she really liked Danny or just like that he was a man. Then she put that off and remembered that Clara didn't like some women. And she didn't like her ex John. She thought that it was because she was grieving her Daddy and didn't like him, but that wasn't the case. She could probably sense that he didn't like her. It didn't take any time for that relationship to end. Lacey was in mourning too and didn't have time for John's feelings. Clara was her top priority. His arrogance in thinking that he came first was a huge turn off to her. She was glad he was gone. So was Judy. She thought he was trash. Judy was always right it seemed.

Danny laughed at her saying he could use her crayons too. He tried to remember the last time he used crayons and couldn't remember. Even though his friends had kids, none of them ever invited him to color. He played ball with Charlie and Whitney's 7-year-old son Chucky. Cole and Regina's daughter, Chloë is 4 years old and she never invited Danny to play with her. She was a little princess like Clara and he thought that they would get along well.

They all finished their meal. "Who's ready for dessert?" She asks as she looks at Danny and Clara.

"Me." Clara say happily.

"Me too." Danny says, mimicking Clara's tone and Lacey got up to get the apple crisp out of the warmer. She was scooping it into bowls when Danny walked into the kitchen. "Do you need some help?" He asks as he appears beside her.

"Sure. Do you want ice cream with yours?" She asks as she heads for the freezer.

"Yes. Who doesn't want ice cream with their dessert?" He asks and laughs.

Lacey laughed too. "Thanks for being so engaging with her. I appreciate that. I only said not tonight because it's getting late and she has to go to bed." She says as she scoops out the ice cream.

"You don't have to thank me for that. I really like talking with her. She's a doll. And I know why you said not tonight. I can't wait to color with her. I haven't colored in years." He says and they both laugh.

"Well, I've colored recently. I've done lots of kids things recently. I went on the swings today. Clara loves them. She called herself pushing me." Lacey says and then chuckles as she finished up with their dessert.

"That's cute. You're a really great mother, Lacey. I can tell you're doing a great job raising her. I of course didn't know your brother, but I know he'd be happy with how you're raising her." Danny says sincerely.

Lacey almost got teary eyed at that. She just put the bowls down and gave him a hug. "Thank you for that. You're so charming that it's killing me." She says as she breaks the hug before Clara comes into the kitchen and sees them. She didn't want to confuse her.

"It's easy to be charming around you." Danny says and they grab the bowls and head back into the dining room. Clara was sitting at the table, seemingly nodding off. She must be worn out from the park.

"Is Baby Bird sleepy?" Lacey asks as she hands Clara her bowl and sits down.

"No, Mama." Clara lies and then yawns.

Danny and Lacey both found that funny. They just ate their dessert. Clara looked like she was struggling to stay awake. "Ok, Baby Bird. It's time for your bath and bed." Lacey says as she stands.

"You go ahead and I'll clean up down here." Danny says as he stands.

Lacey was touched that he offered to do that. "Are you sure?" Lacey wonders.

"Positive. It's the least I can do since you made me this great dinner. Go ahead." Danny reaffirms.

"Ok. Come on Clara." Lacey says as she heads for the stairs.

Clara got up and walked up to Danny and stood there. Danny sensed she wanted a hug and bent down to give her one. "Good night, Clara." He says and Lacey almost teared up again.

"Good night." Clara says as she heads for the stirs with Lacey. She ran up to her bedroom to get ready for her bath. Lacey followed closely behind and went into the bathroom to start running the water. She had to make sure to fill it with bubbles because Clara loved them. She went back into Clara's room where she was attempting to undress herself. "I sleepy, Mama." Clara says and yawns.

"I know you are. But you still have to take your bath before bed. It won't take that long." Lacey says as they finish and head to the bathroom. Lacey was glad that Judy had already washed her hair because Clara looked too tired to deal with that. Lacey just bathed Clara quickly before she had to carry her out of the tub. "I'll fix your hair in the morning, Baby Bird." Lacey says as she lets the water out and bundles Clara in a huge, fluffy towel. They go back to Clara's room and she helps her with her pajamas. "Good night, Clara. I love you." She says and kisses Clara.

"Good night, Mama. I love you too." Clara says and seemed to fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Lacey turned on her night-light and shut the door and made her way back downstairs. Danny had completely cleaned up and was sitting on the sofa waiting for her. Lacey though of how handsome he looked just sitting there waiting for her. She really hoped he kissed her before he left.

"Thank you so much for cleaning up. I wasn't looking forward to that." Lacey says. "I'll just have to put those dishes in the dishwasher." She says as she goes to sit down for a moment.

"Already done." Danny says and smiles. "I didn't think me agreeing to clean up and leaving dishes would be a good idea."

"You are just the best. Do you know that?" She asks as she sighs and smiles.

"I'm ok. You're the greatest." Danny says truthfully.

"I try." Lacey says as she gets up and moves closer to him on the couch. He wrapped his arms around her and Lacey sighed again. She was simply content. It felt good to have Danny wrap his arms around her.

"You don't really have to try. You're just great anyway." Danny says as the lump forms in his throat. "Lacey, I really like you." He admits after the comfortable silence.

"I really like you too." Lacey replies truthfully as she rubs his arm.

"Since we're getting closer, there is something that I think I should tell you. I just hope you don't stop thinking I'm the best after I tell you." Danny says.

"Ok." Lacey says after her own lump forms and silently admits that she's about to hear the catch that she knew was coming from meeting such a great guy.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Hello everyone. Just a quick little update to get the secret out of the way and so that I can focus on Friendmance. I really don't think this update is that good, so I apologize for giving you a lackluster update. I hope at least one person enjoys it. I truly am my own worst critic. It can't be helped or avoided. **

**Thank you for reading. Reviews are hugs. Even the bad ones. :)**

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><p>Lacey was really worried about what Danny had to tell her. She hoped it wasn't something so bad that she would have to end their relationship before it even started. She liked him. She really liked him. Clara liked him and he liked her. She told her mother that she wondered what the catch was and now she was about to hear it. She wished she could tell him to just keep it to himself, but he already put it out there. She couldn't pretend that he didn't have something to tell her. She really started to worry. She wished she had done a background check on him or something. She prayed that he wasn't a convicted rapist or child molester. She wouldn't want anything to do with him after that. She hoped that he didn't have any diseases that he could pass on to her. She hoped that he wasn't bipolar or schizophrenic. She hoped that he wasn't married with a bunch of kids. She hoped that he wasn't a polygamist or a woman beater or something. Why did this gorgeous man that she adored already have a secret to tell her? Why was her luck with men so bad? Lacey sighed. She was so comfortable just a few moments ago. Now she was wound up. She absently wrung her hands. She needed some of that wine that Danny brought over.<p>

"I feel like I should tell you about my past because I think you would want to know. I would want to know if it was me. I already care about you and Clara and I don't want to hide anything from you." Danny admits.

"Ok, Danny. I'm listening." Lacey says nervously. She had to put her big girl panties on and listen to what he had to tell her...

* * *

><p><em>Danny Desai was the only child of Vikram and Karen Desai. Danny always had a close relationship to his father. They had the fact that they both loved soccer in common. Vikram had played the sport his entire life, and was glad that he had a son he could teach to play. Danny seemed to be a natural at soccer and it really bonded him with his father. Danny was what some would call a Daddy's boy. He admired and looked up to his father. His mother Karen, was a housewife, but not your typical housewife. She didn't bake cookies and run the PTA. She was however, a great Soccer Mom that was at every one of Danny's games because Vikram worked a lot and she wanted one of them there for every game. She loved her son and wanted to support every thing that he did. <em>

_Vikram had a bit of a drinking problem, but he was functional. Truth be told, Karen did as well. It didn't mean anything to Danny to come home from school and see his mother sitting on the sofa in the living room, drinking a glass of wine. That was just normal to him. It also wasn't a big deal for Vikram to have a drink or two, or five. Danny was used to his drunk parents. It didn't faze him at all. It just made Danny a little more free to do what he wanted, when he wanted. His father was also gone a lot because of work so it was usually just him and Karen. He would invite his friends over because Karen didn't care what Danny did. He was a boy and she felt like she really didn't have to keep a huge eye on him. She had the mentality that lots of parents with sons have, 'Boys will be boys'. She pretty much let him do what he wanted and hoped that he didn't get into too much trouble. _

_Danny literally became invisible to his parents and at first he loved that. He was a teenager and the envy of all his friends. They all wanted to hang out at Danny's house. He was on the soccer team and became pretty popular. He had a lot of things going for him. He had the soccer thing, he was extremely good-looking, he had a rich father and was popular. Girls loved him. They loved his hair. But all of that became boring to Danny. He was an only child and was a little lonely in dealing with his parents. He knew they had issues when he got older. He tried to push it away. He started to resent his parents for always being drunk, for his father always being gone, and for them just acting like he didn't exist. _

_He started to do things just for attention. He started to get into trouble in school by skipping class. He would purposely miss soccer practice. He didn't have a curfew, so he pretty much came home when he wanted to. He stole his father's Porsche and went joy riding without a license. He was only 14 years old and had no business driving a car to begin with. His parents actually took notice in that, but only because he wrecked Vikram's car. Vikram had a nice long talk with his son and found out just what Danny's problem was. He had Danny help him fix his car themselves and that brought them closer. Danny really loved bonding with his father. It gave him the bug to fix things. He started taking wood shop and really loved it. He loved it more than working on cars, even though he loved doing that because he discovered how good with his hands he was. Plus he had the bonding with his father. The talk he had with Vikram really made him feel better._

_And then slowly but surely, Vikram and Karen got back into their old habits of ignoring Danny. By that time, Danny had his new hobby and wasn't that intent on doing things to get their attention anymore. He figured it was a lost cause. He just did things to entertain himself. He was still heavily into doing wood shop and making things. He was understanding that his family dynamic was that way and there to stay. He knew he couldn't do anything about his problematic parents. After Danny finished a wood shop project that he worked on, he became bored again. He went exploring throughout their huge house. Karen was sitting on the couch with a glass of wine as usual. Vikram was off at work. Danny went looking for things to occupy his mind and time, and quench his boredom thirst. While he was looking for something to do, he found something. Something that piqued his 14-year-old interest. Something that he thought was cool as hell that he had no idea his father had. A gun._

_Danny thought finding the gun was magical. He picked it up and realized how heavy it was. He didn't know that real guns were that heavy. He had no idea how to handle one. He wished his father would teach him how to shoot it. He thought that he and his father could go out hunting or something. He was good with his hands, so he thought he'd be good with a gun. He thought showing his father how good he could shoot would bring them closer. He loved his father and looked up to him and desperately wanted his approval. He figured they bonded over the restoring of his father's car, then they could bond over that. Danny got excited just thinking about him and his father getting close again. He got overly excited and started playing with the gun. He had no idea that it was loaded. He started spinning it around on his finger. Something extremely dangerous to do. Danny didn't know that. He was 14 years old and thought it would work just how he saw it done on tv with Dirty Harry. _

_So he decided to try it more and really become good at it. He could show his father that he was as good as Dirty Harry. It was a tragic mistake with unforseen circumstances and an outcome that would haunt him for the rest of his life. Vikram decided to come home at the wrong time and surprised Danny. Danny was still busy slinging the gun around when Vikram walked in. He walked right into the gun going off. The bullet hit him in the abdomen and made him grab his stomach in pain and disbelief. He collapsed still clutching his abdomen. Danny was shocked, startled, hysterical, frantic, everything you could think of for a 14-year-old boy who played with his father's gun and accidentally shot him. Karen came running at the sound of the gunshot. She found her son and husband both in hysterics. Danny seemed to be inconsolable. Vikram was screaming out from the pain. Karen couldn't believe her eyes. She hurriedly called 911 and informed them that her husband had been shot accidentally and to send an ambulance right away. Vikram was rushed to the hospital and died during surgery. The bullet traveled to his liver and shattered when it hit the main artery. There wasn't anything the doctors could do. Vikram was dead._

_Danny felt horrible and went into a deep depression. He had killed his father. It was an accident, but it still happened. He replayed the moment he found the gun over and over in his mind. He wished he had never been bored that day. Wished he never went exploring through his house. Wished that he wasn't stupid and naïve enough to play with a gun. Wished that he wasn't stupid and idiotic enough to think that he could spin a gun around like Dirty Harry did. Danny also started to wish he had never been born. He and Karen were both devastated by Vikram's death. It somehow brought them closer though. Karen stopped drinking and really started to bond with her son. Karen didn't blame him like Danny blamed himself. It was an accident. He was a child that made a stupid mistake. No one blamed him, but he blamed himself. He got a lot of unnecessary attention at school. A lot of it was harsh, but he dealt with it. He had to. People called him a murderer, even though it was an accident. Then things started to die down. People stopped calling him names and bothering him. Then he started to get a lot of unwanted attention. He became rich with his own money. He felt really guilty when he inherited millions from the life insurance policy that his father had for him. He felt like he didn't deserve it. He didn't want it. People wanted to be his friend when they found out he was a millionaire. Girls threw themselves at him. He wasn't a murderer to them anymore. He was suddenly the most popular guy in school again for all the wrong reasons. _

_He had nightmares and everything just seemed to be unbearable to him. He felt like his father's ghost was haunting him. He had one dream about his father that seemed so real that it shook him to his core. Danny had to go to some vigorous counseling just to be able to sleep at night. He let go of the majority of the guilt, but some of it would stay with him forever. He and Karen got really close and he got out of his funk. He attributed that to his mother and his therapist. He really got back into his wood working. Things got better. He still had the horror of accidentally killing his father in his mind and heart, but he had to move on with his life. He did just that. He went to college and majored in business management and started his own home remodeling business. The wood working really became his passion and he made a career out of it. He still thought about his father everyday, and would have dreams about him. He became a successful business man that threw himself into his work. He would still watch soccer games and think of when he watched them with his father. He felt like he had to be a man that his father would be proud of. That was really important to him._

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><p>Danny never really told women or people in general about his past and the accidental killing of his father. That is until he met Lacey. He really liked her and wanted a future with her. He felt like she had a right to know about his past. She was raising a little girl that didn't have her father that somehow clung to him. He liked that and that made him feel like a better man. He just felt like he couldn't look at Lacey and her little girl, that lost a father and not tell her about losing his. He didn't want her to find out that he killed his father secondhand and think the wrong thing. He didn't want her to think he did it on purpose and kept it from her. That's why he told her since she told him things about her family. He finished telling Lacey his story and wondered what she would think about it. He hoped that she didn't thinl he was a murderer and not want him around her or her daughter anymore. That would literally kill him.<p>

Lacey took all in what Danny had to tell her and she was happy that he felt like he needed to tell her and was able to confide in her. She truly appreciated that. He told her something huge and he had no idea how she would take it. She appreciated his honesty and him telling her something that she knew was hard to say. It didn't change things for her though. She could tell that he was really spent after reliving something that happened to him when he was a teenager. She was in his arms, but felt like she needed to hold and comfort him. "Danny, I'm glad that you told me what happened when you were younger. I'm happy that you trusted me with that information. I know it must have been a hard thing to go through." Lacey says sincerely.

"Yes, it was. It still is." Danny admits solemnly.

"I'm sure it was and still is. I would think something was really wrong if it didn't." Lacey admits while trying to sound as sincere as she felt.

"Thank you for listening to my story about my past." He says, equally as sincere as Lacey sounded.

"You're welcome. It's hard reliving things that really hurt you. Believe me, I know." She says.

"That's why I felt like I needed to tell you. I didn't want you to find out by accident and think the worst. I know hearing that I killed my father is a hard thing to hear. It's hard for me to say." Danny replies honestly.

"I get it." Lacey retorts, and doesn't say anything else. It became painfully quiet.

"So, I guess I should leave now." Danny says as he slowly starts to sit forward, but doesn't remove his arms from around her.

"Why?" Lacey wonders.

"You know why, Lacey. I know you probably don't want anything to do with me now. Then you have Clara to think about." Danny says gravely.

Lacey shifted in his arms and looked at him. "Danny, what happened doesn't change how I feel about you. It was an accident. It was an accident, right?" She asks as she stares deep into his eyes.

"Of course it was an accident. It still doesn't change the fact that I killed someone. My father, to be exact. It was hard for me to look at you and Clara knowing she lost her father and I killed mine." He says.

"But Danny. You were a kid. You didn't know what you were doing. You were playing with your father's gun. Kids do that. They see things on tv and try to emulate that. Which is exactly what you did. You didn't kill him on purpose. I don't consider you to be a murderer. It was a tragic accident. Just like my brother's car crash." Lacey retorts.

"Lacey, I get what you're saying. But my accident didn't have to happen. I didn't have to play with his gun. What if I had just left it alone? What if I didn't try to be Dirty Harry? What if my father wouldn't have come home when he did? The answer will always be that I didn't have to play with that gun. He would still be alive if I didn't." Danny says in a somber tone.

"Danny. It was an accident. A motorcycle hit gravel and lost control, causing my brother to lose control of his car and he and his wife died. 5 other people died in that accident. Clara lost her mom and dad. They were on their way to pick her up. Can we blame her for needing to be picked up? I used to think what if they had left sooner or later? What if only one of them went to pick her up? What if my brother reacted faster? What if they went another way? You'll drive yourself crazy thinking about what if." Lacey states.

"But we know how my 'what if' plays out." Danny states.

"But you can't keep dwelling on it. Your father isn't coming back. You need to let it go." She says and starts to rub his arms with her hand.

"Lacey, my past will always haunt me. Always." Danny states in a somber tone.

"Danny, the past is in the past." Lacey says with finality.

"So, you still want to deal with me after hearing this?" Danny asks quizzically.

"Of course I do. I can't hold that against you. I've made mistakes too. You did that when you were a kid. Even if you did it yesterday, it's still an accident. I can see how broken you still are about it. It doesn't change anything on my end. You'll always be the guy that accepted me and my little girl without any stipulations. There has to be a reason she feels so drawn to you. Clara doesn't just easily connect to people." Lacey confesses and encourages Danny to lean back on the couch. She loved being in his arms and didn't want to change that.

Danny exhaled. It felt like a huge weight had lifted off his shoulders. He already thought Lacey was awesome, now he just thought she was spectacular. She wasn't going to get rid of him because of what he did. She didn't judge him and think he was a murderer. She accepted him and he felt like a lucky man. He couldn't believe he found her. "Lacey, you don't know how much it means to me that you accept me and want to keep me around. I was really worried about telling you that. I just thought that maybe you'd somehow hear that I shot my father and think that I did it on purpose and tried to hide it from you. I knew you wouldn't want me around Clara." Danny states.

"I'm glad that it means a lot to you. It means a lot to me that you accept me and my child. You came over here and had dinner with us. You don't treat her like she's invisible. I don't think you're putting up a front just to get in my panties. This is a two-way street. We both have baggage and we both accepted that. There's no need to ruin it. You aren't what happened to you. I don't think you're some murderer and some horrible person. You seem like a great guy to me." Lacey says to ease his mind. "Clara clearly thinks so too." She says and giggles at that last part.

Danny laughed along with Lacey. It felt good to laugh after telling that story. "She's adorable and I can't wait to color with her. When is that supposed to happen?" He wonders.

"When you're free. I know she's going to ask me about it soon." Lacey says as she continues to remain comfortable in Danny's arms. "When do you want to do it?"

"Tomorrow, actually. Even though we have things to do early in the morning." Danny says. "But I can come over after."

"Yes, we do. You have to start fixing up my dream house. What's on the agenda for the work at the house? Will you really be up for coloring after?" Lacey wonders.

"The first day or two isn't usually that busy. We're mostly going to do the demo anyway. I don't even really need to be there to do that. My guys can handle it." Danny says. "I mostly have to do ordering and overseeing things."

Lacey smiles thinking of them getting to work on her and Clara's forever house. "Where are we meeting and what time? We never really went over that." Lacey states pointedly.

"No, we didn't. That's because you were too busy checking me out." Danny jokes.

Lacey shifted her body and turned to look at him. "You were checking me out too. And you asked me out. Not the other way around." She says and smiles after reminding him of how things really went.

"And you're the one that offered to sleep with me to knock the price down. Do you remember that? Because I remember that." Danny states profoundly.

"That was just a joke. But I remember you agreeing to it. You said, 'That can be arranged' if my memory serves me correctly." Lacey says while she smiles at him again.

"Well, I have no defense or alibi to that. You're right. That is how it happened. But you started flirting with me first." Danny points out.

Lacey shifted again to look at him. "Uh uh, Mister. You started flirting with me first. You said you were there to serve me. I know you meant more than just fixing up my house." She says matter of factly.

Danny exhaled and it sounded like the air was being let out of a balloon. "You're right. I couldn't help myself. I couldn't help flirting with a beautiful woman to see if she would flirt back. I just kept thinking that you were probably married and felt disappointed. I knew you had to be because women that look like you usually aren't single. Plus you bought that big house. I now know you bought it for Clara. That makes me want to do the perfect job on your house. I always take pride in my work, but this has to be the best job I've ever done." He admits.

Lacey was just full of smiles. "I thought that you couldn't be single and was probably married too. I kept trying to look at your left hand. I'm glad you aren't married though. I feared that's what you were going to tell me." She admits.

"No, I'm not married. I'm very single." Danny says. They let that notion just linger in the air.

Lacey settled back into Danny's arms. She was in a state of pure bliss. "I felt so much joy today. You're the cause of it. You made Clara happy too."

"She makes me happy. She's the cutest thing I've ever laid eyes on." Danny says surely. "No offense." He says and he and Lacey just laugh.

"No offense taken. She is pretty cute. I love her with all that I am and that is in me." Lacey professes and that makes Danny happy.

"I can see that. She loves you too. I honestly think it would be hard to not like either of you." Danny admits.

"I kind of like you too." Lacey says.

"I don't want to move, but it's getting late. We've sat here for hours again. We both have to work in the morning. I know there's no way I can stay and have Clara catch me here." Danny says.

Lacey playfully sighs. "Alright." She says and shifts her body. "Yeah, you're right. I don't want to confuse her. She just has to think you're my friend for now." She says and reluctantly stands.

"And then what?" Danny asks after he stands and locks eyes with her.

"Then we become more than friends. Hopefully." She says and smiles.

Danny walked over to the door. "I hope so too." Lacey follows Danny to the door and reaches up to give him a hug. They both relished in it before breaking apart. Lacey smiled at him and just grabbed Danny's face and pressed her lips to his. She was dying to kiss him on the lips and couldn't wait to do it anymore. She loved the way her lips felt pressed against Danny's. The kiss was better than she thought it would be. She had no intentions of coming up for air and neither did Danny. He wrapped his strong arms around her and pulled her closer to him. He deepened the kiss because he wanted to kiss her for what seemed like a long time to him. He caressed her back and Lacey seemed to tighten the grip she had around his neck. The kiss was passionate and deep, something that they both looked forward to and never wanted to end. They had both met the person they were looking for without even knowing they were looking. They both felt free. Danny felt extremely uncaged because he told Lacey about the tragedy that happened in his life and she didn't run or push him away. Lacey put all of her cards on the table and this man wanted the packaged deal he knew he was getting. She felt lucky to have that. They both started to break the kiss that they didn't want to end. Danny kept his arms around Lacey as she smiled up at him. He smiled at her too. "That was great." He says as he rubs her back and Lacey wraps her arms around his.

"It was. It was more than great." Lacey says as she tries to come down from her kissing Danny high. She liked this man. Really liked him despite a mistake he made at 14. She knew he felt horrible about it but the past is in the past. He was a great guy as far as she was concerned.

"Kiss me again." Danny says as he flashes Lacey a grin. Lacey grinned too and leaned forward and pressed her lips to Danny's again. She felt like she was floating. She felt higher than a rainbow and he was the reason for it. Hearing about his childhood didn't change a thing. In fact, she liked him more for trusting her with that information. Danny somehow lifted her up in his arms until her feet were no longer touching the floor. They continued to kiss and reveled in the kiss that they had both been waiting for. Danny finally put Lacey back on solid ground and slowly broke the kiss. He smiled at her, stared into her eyes, and kissed the tip of her nose. Lacey blushed and smiled. She looked ridiculously like a bigger version of Clara when she blushed and smiled.

She looked just like Clara did who was at the top of the stairs, hiding and looking on.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Hello everyone. I hope you enjoy this latest update. **

**Thank you for reading. Reviews are hugs. :)**

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><p>Danny and Lacey finished up their kiss and Lacey reached for the door. They both had a wonderful night and didn't want it to end. They were sad that they couldn't spend the rest of their night together, but they both had things to do in the morning. All in all, they both had a great weekend that they spent a lot of together. The only complaint was ending it early. They had both gotten the kiss that they wanted. Danny got his huge secret off his chest and Lacey wasn't running in the other direction. Lacey revealed that she was a single mother and that she and her child are a packaged deal. Danny was completely ok with her having a child and they both appreciated the other being in their corner. Things were shaping up nicely.<p>

"I wish I didn't have to leave, but I know I have to." Danny says.

"I wish you didn't have to leave either, but we know what we have to do. We'll see each other tomorrow." She says and smiles.

"Ok. I'll see you tomorrow. Sweet dreams." He says as he gives her a kiss on her cheek. It seemed fitting to him.

Lacey smiled at him giving her a kiss on the cheek. They had just kissed on the lips so him kissing her on the cheek was fine with her. "Thank you. You have sweet dreams too." Lacey says.

Danny gave her a quick grin. "Of course I'll have sweet dreams. I'm going to dream about you." He says and just walks through the door and heads for his car. He waved when he pulled off and Lacey waved back.

Clara took this time to sneak back into her bedroom before Lacey caught her. She was supposed to be in bed sleeping. She woke up out her sleep because she wanted her mama. She saw Lacey's bedroom door opened and the light was off, so she knew she wasn't in there. She went to the top of the stairs and peeked to see what her mama was doing. She saw her hugging the man named Danny and then kissed him. She thought it was cute when she saw her mama kissing the man. She had never seen her mama kiss a man before. Only her and Granny on the cheek. She just hoped that he wanted to color with her and would ask her mama if he could color with her when she talked to her. She got her Minnie Mouse doll and got back in the bed. She just laid in the bed clutching her doll when she realized she needed to go to the bathroom. She decided to call her mama so that she could go and she wouldn't get in trouble for still being awoke. She couldn't let her know that she saw her kissing the man with the pretty hair. "Mama?" Clara called.

Lacey heard Clara calling for her and hoped that it wasn't because she had a nightmare. She locked up and turned off the lights and headed for the stairs. She quickly walked to Clara's bedroom and opened the door and turned on the light. "Yes, Baby Bird?" She asks as she walks over to heer bed and sat down.

"I have to go to the bathroom, Mama." Clara says in her sweet, tired voice.

"Ok. Come on, I'll take you and then you need to go right back to bed so you won't be sleepy for preschool tomorrow." Lacey says and reaches for her hand.

Clara pulled her covers back and reached for Lacey's hand. "Ok, Mama." She says and walks to the bathroom with Lacey. She did her business while Lacey stood in the door. Clara went to wash her hands and looked up at Lacey and asked her a question. "Are we coloring tomorrow, Mama?" she asks as she dries her hands and walks back over to Lacey.

"Well, we can color tomorrow. I can ask my friend if he wants to color with us. He might be busy though, Baby Bird. Ok?" Lacey says as she takes her hand and walks her back to her bedroom. Clara went and hopped in the bed and Lacey went to tuck her in.

Clara wanted to ask Lacey about the man who had the pretty hair that had dinner with them. She saw Lacey hug him and kiss him and really wondered who he was. She thought that she'd ask tomorrow when they started to color. "Ok, Mama. I'm really sleepy again." She says and yawns.

"I see that you're sleepy. Good night, Baby Bird." Lacey says and kisses Clara on her cheek.

"Good night, Mama." She says and turns over while hugging her Minnie Mouse doll. Lacey smiled at her pride and joy and got up off the floor. She walked towards the door and turned the light off and shut the door and went into her own bedroom. She started replaying her evening with Danny in her head and started thinking how glad she was that she met him. She thought a little about the huge secret and heartbreaking thing that happened to him. She was glad that he trusted her enough to confide in her. She knew it probably was a huge relief to him to know that she wouldn't hold a tragic mistake he made when he was a kid against him. That wasn't her style anyway. She considered herself to be a very forgiving person and this was certainly no exception.

Lacey started to undress to prepare for her shower and bed as she thought of the great kiss that they shared. Well, two kisses. They were both hot and passion filled. She couldn't believe that she was the one that kissed him first. She simply couldn't resist. She found Danny to be incredibly hot and sexy and him just standing in front of her made her not be able to resist kissing him any longer. The cheek kisses were ok, but she really needed more. It had been so long since she had been kissed by a man. Her other dates didn't make it far enough to actually kiss. She had gotten the kisses on the cheek and the old 'cold and distant' game that some men liked to play. They weren't in the mood for a woman with a young kid. And some were fine with it as long as Clara was out of sight and out of mind. Then there were the other that just wanted a roll in the bed and that's it. They went in for kisses she didn't want to give them. She figured they thought that they would at least get that out of the date.. They were wrong. She just thought back to that asshole John and how he really became a prick when Clara came to live with her as she walked to the bathroom and hopped in the shower.

John didn't understand Lacey wanting to take Clara in since she was young and living a good life. He thought she should just let her mother take her so that her life and their relationship didn't have to change. He wasn't that fond of children and didn't want any of his own. He never told Lacey that, but that's how he felt. So going from just having a girlfriend, to having a girlfriend with a kid wasn't ideal for him. Sure he felt bad that Lacey's brother and sister-in-law died and their little girl was an orphan, but he didn't see why his life had to change because of that. He was being incredibly selfish, but that's how he felt. When Clara moved in, he really wasn't feeling that. Then Lacey's talks of adopting her made him feel like he needed to get out. He had no interactions with the little girl. He could tell that she didn't like him. He didn't particularly like her either. He seriously had a problem with Lacey taking her niece in. He somehow thought that his feelings were more important that the needs of an orphaned and traumatized child. He was wrong.

He probably thought that Lacey would see things his way since they were in a relationship and he gave her an ultimatum. There was no way in the world she was going to abandon Clara to suit his needs and wants. It wasn't happening. So when he tried to strong-arm her into letting Clara live with her mother, he found out that his arm really wasn't that strong. He called himself breaking up with her to save face. Lacey was too distraught about losing her brother and sister-in-law to care. Clara was her top priority at that moment and from then on. Not some grown man who really should have been ashamed of himself for even suggesting that she just throw that sweet and innocent child to the wolves to please him. Nobody was more important than Clara and he failed to see the big picture. Lacey was glad he was gone because she didn't need any added stress on top of what she was already dealing with.

Then Lacey focused all her time and attention on Clara. She got her into counseling because she had a really rough time right after they died. She was too young to understand that her Mommy and Daddy weren't coming back. Her screams and cries for them were heartbreaking to watch. The good thing was that she had a strong bond with Lacey and Judy that helped to ease that. Then slowly but surely, she got used to her parents not being around and instead got used to seeing Lacey everyday and Judy all the time. She had always called Lacey, 'Auntie Lace' but then got a little confused and called her 'Mama Lace' a few times. Lacey didn't know what to do in that situation. She didn't want to betray her real mother, but she also didn't want to hurt Clara by telling her not to call her that and she wasn't her mother. She was just simply too young to understand. Then she really started to call her 'Mama' and that seemed to be her name for Lacey. She would sometimes revert back to the other names, but mostly called Lacey 'Mama'. Lacey was totally ok with her calling her that after she found out from the therapist that it was perfectly ok and normal for her to call her that since she wasn't betraying her brother and sister-in-law by letting her call her that. They were never coming back to reclaim their child. As sad and as tragic as it was, it was their reality.

Lacey quickly adjusted from being childless to a mother in the shortest time frame ever. She had already loved Clara like her own and completely devoted her life to her. Now here she was with her fixer upper house that she bought for Clara to grow up in and knowing for certain that her life with Lacey was permanent. And now she was seriously liking the man she hired to fix up her house. Not only was he seriously easy on the eyes, he was a great guy. So what he had a horrible past. Lots of people do. He was an extremely great catch. He accepted and liked her child. She really didn't think he was faking it. Plus Clara being drawn to him was a good sign to Lacey. If she didn't, that was a total deal breaker. As much as she liked him and as much as she wanted, and needed a man in her life, she would have to send him packing if Clara didn't like him and he didn't like her. There weren't any exceptions in the matter. If she had to stay single forever, then she would have to. Clara came first.

Lacey finished up her shower and went into her bedroom. She covered her body entirely in lotion and put her nightgown on. She tied up her hair and got in the bed. She started thinking of Danny and their kisses again, and she started getting that feeling. That feeling of wishing he was in the bed with her. Her forced bout of celibacy was staring her right in the face. She knew she couldn't and wouldn't just hop into the bed with Danny because she wanted to take things slow. They needed to take things slow since they just met. Yes they shared a hot kiss that Lacey wanted more of, but she wasn't having sex with him anytime soon. She didn't need that to complicate things. Not saying that she doesn't want to have sex with him because she desperately does. But it's better for all those involved that they wait.

It wouldn't stop her from fantasizing that he was in the bed with her as she drifted off to sleep.

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><p>Danny drove home feeling like a truly content man. He told Lacey the thing that he was at first glad that he didn't tell her out of fear that she would run for the hills. She did just the opposite and he couldn't be happier about that. He really hit her with a doozy and she was supportive and understanding. He knew that without a doubt he was right about Lacey. He already knew that he was, but that confirmed it. She was everything he could look and hope for in a woman. He considered himself to be a lucky guy, despite him feeling like he never would be really happy over what he accidentally did to his father. It was the greatest mistake he'll ever make in his life, and he still harbored guilt. Despite it totally being an accident and something he wished he could take back every moment of his life since then, he still felt guilty about it. Lacey being in his corner and telling him that what happened was just a tragic mistake that could happen to anyone. Just like her brother's accident. It was a tragedy that ruined and took lives, but it couldn't be changed. It was just something that all involved had to deal with. Danny has dealt with it since then. He finally felt like he could move on. If Lacey could move on with her life after what happened, then he certainly could do the same. She was just amazing to him.<p>

He started thinking about that kiss that she gave him and wished that it didn't have to end. He was taken aback and surprised that she was the one that kissed him. Somehow that made it more special to him. She was accepting him with all his flaws and he loved that. He really liked her and couldn't wait to really become a part of her and Clara's lives and they become a part of his. They were going to take things slow for Clara's benefit and he was completely ok with that. The fact that he desperately wanted to take her upstairs to her bedroom and have hot, passionate sex with her was irrelevant. He was ok with them taking their time getting there. It gave him something to look forward to.

Danny really started imagining taking that step with Lacey but didn't want to overwhelm himself with thinking about it too much since it wouldn't be happening anytime soon. He didn't want to give himself a case of blue balls thinking about Lacey. She was an incredibly attractive, hot, beautiful woman and he was glad she bought that house and hired him to fix it up. He just met her but he was thinking of ways to keep her in his life permanently. He wasn't in love with her yet, but he knew it wouldn't be too long before he was. She was the kind of woman he could take around his mother. He wondered how his mother would feel about her having a child. He really didn't care because he intended to keep Lacey and Clara around. Clara was just the sweetest thing ever. He'd be lucky to have one of his own just like her.

He smiled thinking of that as he pulled up. He had really worked himself up thinking about Lacey. He would do what he did the night before and get in his bed and think about her. He did a lot of thinking about her. She invaded his mind without even trying. He parked his car and got out and walked up to his door. He was almost scared shitless when Zoey appeared right in front of him.

She smiled like she was extremely happy to see him. Like he didn't give her her walking papers the day before. "Hello, sexy." She says and smiles at him.

Danny frowned. He was not at all happy to see her. He hoped his face and demeanor showed that he wasn't happy to see her. "Why are you here, Zoey?" Danny asks flatly and with annoyance in his voice. It's too late for this mess from her.

She kept her smile on her face, despite Danny's tone, facial expressions, and demeanor. "I came to see you." She says in a jovial tone.

"Did you forget the conversation we had yesterday?" He asks with bite and hostility in his voice. He really wanted to know why she was there when he didn't want her there at all. Not even remotely or somewhere deep in the back of his mind.

Zoey feigns ignorance. "What conversation?" She asks in wonderment.

Danny sighed out of pure frustration. "The conversation we had when I told you that what we had is over. You don't remember that?" He asks in a nasty tone.

"Oh, that conversation. I remember that. I thought you just needed some time to think things through." She says and smiles again.

Danny just looked at her and seriously wondered if she was on some type of medication that she forgot to take. She was acting totally weird. It's like she was choosing not to hear him and understand the current state of their relationship. They didn't even have a relationship. She was just someone he took out occasionally and brought home after. He hadn't even told his friends or mother about her and he's now glad that he didn't because she seems to seriously be unstable. "No, I don't need time to think things through. I told you yesterday that what we had is over. I'm not changing my mind about that." He says sternly and with finality and hopes that she really gets what he's saying.

She started to pout. "But why, Danny? Why is what we had over?" She questions and really gives him a sad face. he figured she thought it would work on him.

Danny sighed again out of pure aggravation and frustration. He hoped that his ire wouldn't get the best of him and he wound up blowing up on her and scaring her. He didn't want to do that to a woman, despite her being a total nutjob and seriously trying his patience. He wasn't raised to be the kind of guy that would harm or scare a woman. "Zoey, I already explained this to you. I think it's best that we just end things. I met someone and it's becoming serious. What we had wasn't and I don't want to lose her because I'm still involved with you. You really have to understand and accept that." He says calmly and hopes that she gets it.

"I already told you that I don't mind sharing. It's ok. I'll take what I can get." She counts, her desperation really taking its toll and making her look as desperate as she sounds.

"You're right about that, Zoey. You do have to take what you can get and that is nothing. I'm not going to jeopardize what I have with her. If you don't mind sharing, that's on you. I'm not ok with being with you and her. What we had is over. You have to understand that." Danny says.

Zoey becomes irate. "So you just cast me aside over some other woman? What about me? I thought we were going to get married." She says and Danny has to wonder where she got the idea that he would ever marry her. That wasn't anywhere near his radar.

"Married? You thought we were going to get married? What in the hell made you think that?" Danny asks in an incredulous tone.

"Because I love you and you love me. I was just waiting for you to pop the question." She says and then smiles like the previous conversation has left her again.

Danny feels like cursing or punching something. He never thought about marrying this woman, never thought about popping the question, or anything even remotely close to that. He saw no future with her. He didn't love her, not at all. He enjoyed her company from time to time, but that's nowhere near love. "Zoey, I really think you should leave and get yourself some help. Ok?" He says.

"You do love me. I knew you did. I forgive you." She says in an excited tone and almost runs toward him. She threw herself against him and wrapped her arms around him.

Danny felt like he was in some strange twisted universe or twilight zone. The movie Fatal Attraction was heavy on his mind. This chick was nuts and he was starting to get afraid. He grabbed her by her arms and pulled her away from him. "Zoey, there's nothing to forgive. Please leave now. And don't ever come back." He says strongly.

She looked at him and started crying. "We can work this out, Danny. We can. Let's give it a try." She says and sounds dangerously close to pleading.

Danny became angry. "PLEASE LEAVE NOW ZOEY!" He says in a voice that scared even him. He had never raised his voice like that to a woman. It felt wrong for him to yell at her like that but he felt like he had no choice. He calmed himself down before he said and did something he might regret. "Do not come back."

She looked at him and finally got it. She started crying and ran away and got in her car and sped off. Danny stood in front of his door and watched her drive down the road. He couldn't believe it came to that. That he actually had to yell at her to get her to leave. If he wasn't convinced before, he was now that she was truly a disturbed woman. Now that he thinks about it, she has had some pretty heavy mood swings in the past. They weren't this bad though. Maybe it's because he told her that it's over. She has gotten upset when she couldn't see him in the past, but he thought that it just came with the territory. She was back to her normal self when he could see her. But telling her that what they had was a done deal seemed to do something to her and send her off the deep end. He was really wondering if she might be bipolar or something. He hoped that he never saw her again because she was totally off her damn rocker.

Danny finally went into his house and locked up. He made sure to set the alarm because he had no idea if crazy ass Zoey would come back. He hoped that she didn't because he didn't want a thing to do with her anymore. He went to his bedroom and stripped down before heading to his huge walk in shower. He had Lacey on his mind the entire time. She was still on his mind when he climbed into bed and just stared at the ceiling. He wished that she was in his king sized bed with him. It was too soon for that though. It didn't mean that he couldn't imagine that she was under him, or on top of him. Whatever position she preferred.

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><p>Lacey awoke groggy and seriously needing a few more hours of sleep. She stayed up later than she's used to with Danny and was about to pay for it. She needed a serious dose of caffeine and she would get it as soon as she could. She quickly got herself ready before she woke her Baby Bird up. She was up later than she should have been when Lacey took her to the bathroom. "Rise and shine, Baby Bird." Lacey says as she rustles her a little.<p>

Clara finally stirred and sat up and started rubbing her eyes. "Good morning, Mama." She says and then yawns.

"Good morning, baby. You have to get ready for preschool. I don't have time to fix your pancakes today, but you can have cereal." Lacey says as she goes to get Clara's clothes ready.

"Ok. I want the one with marshmallows." She says as she gets out of the bed and walks to the bathroom with Lacey following. Lacey quickly helped Clara bathe before she brushed her teeth. Lacey helped her get dressed even though she barely wanted Lacey to help her. "Can I have ribbons in my hair?" She asks as Lacey starts to comb her hair.

"Sure." Lacey says and pecked Clara on the nose.

Clara giggled when Lacey did that. "You kissed my nose." She says and giggles some more.

Lacey then kissed her on her forehead. "I love kissing my Baby Bird." She says and goes to do Clara's hair and puts some pink ribbons in her hair like she asked.

"Is your friend coming to color with me?" Clara asks and Lacey knew it was coming.

"I have to ask him if he can come and color. You promise you won't be sad if he can't?" Lacey wonders.

"No, Mama. I won't get sad." Clara says in her sweet voice. Lacey just smiled at how precious she is.

Minutes later they were downstairs and eating cereal. Lacey had to quickly pack Clara's bag for preschool and they were out the door and in the car and Lacey was heading to Clara's preschool. She kissed her goodbye and promised to be there to pick her up. She hated promising her that just in case something happened, but Clara needed that kind of reassurance since her parents never came back for her. Lacey remembered how hard it was for her to hold it together when she finally went to pick up Clara after Clarence and Latoya died. It was the hardest thing she ever had to do, but she couldn't let Clara see how upset and sad she was. Lacey and Judy made a vow to not ever be in the same car together just in case. One of them would be around to get Clara if they ever had another tragedy in their family.

She then drove to the bank and got the cashier's check for Danny and then called her job telling them she'd be a little late. She drove to get the key made to her other house and texted Danny to meet her there. She started to feel giddy about seeing him again. She just couldn't help it. Danny brought out the giddiness in her.

She drove to her new house and sat in her car and waited for Danny. She listened to the radio and sang along to the music. She was lost in singing along with Adele when there was a knock on her car window. It startled her and she quickly got over it when she saw that it was Danny. She smiled though she was a little embarrassed and then quickly hit her power window button. "Hey, there. Good morning, Danny." She says and smiles.

Danny laughed and smiled at her. "Good morning, Lacey. How are you?" He asks cordially.

"I'm great. I'm a little tired from staying up late, but I'm good. How about you?" She asks.

"Same." He says and backs up when he sees Lacey take her seatbelt off and reach into her purse in the passenger seat.. She gets out and Danny subtly checked her out. She looked good for just going to work. Hell, Lacey looked good in just her lounge wear.

"Well, I went to the bank and got your check and I got your key made. So, here you go." She says and hands it to him with a smile.

He really didn't want to take the check but he thought he'd be insulting her if he didn't. He felt weird about taking her money even if it was for business. He just didn't want to take money from a woman he was dating who is also a single mother. It just didn't seem right to him. He knew he had to since they had a deal. He still didn't like it when he was a very rich man. He knew that Lacey did well and made a good living, he just didn't want to take her money. "Thanks. Now comes the fun part." He says and smiles.

"Speaking of fun, Clara asked me about you coloring with her. I told her I would say something to you about it. I know coloring with a three-year old is probably the last thing you want to do, but I don't like lying to her." Lacey says and smiles.

"Lacey, I would love to color with Clara. She asked me to color, so we're going to color. I was going to bring my own crayons, but she said I could use hers." He says and smiles at Lacey. He really does want to color with Clara. He didn't want to lie to her either. He already got the feeling that she trusted him, so he didn't want to jeopardize that.

"Ok, that's great. We usually get home around 6. I'll fix dinner again. I promise it's more than just mac n cheese and trees." Lacey says and they both laugh.

"Mac n cheese and trees is great, but ok." Danny replies.

"Well, duty calls. I gotta get to work. Have fun tearing down walls. I'll see you later." She says and goes to kiss him on the cheek. She winked at him and got into her car. Danny was still smiling when he watched her car disappear around the corner.

* * *

><p>Lacey wrapped up her day a lot earlier than she expected and went to go and get her Baby Bird. She always missed her. She stopped by the grocery store again because she wanted to make a homemade chicken pot pie. She hoped Danny liked that and it was fairly easy to make. She didn't tell Clara that Danny was coming over to color because she didn't want to hear incessant questions about it. She knew it was on her mind. She figured she would just surprise her when he came over to color and for dinner.<p>

She sent Clara to play while she worked on their meal. She was getting excited about having Danny over again. It was becoming a great thing for her to look forward to. She loved spending time with Danny and loved that he wanted to spend time with her and Clara. She smiled as she finished up in the kitchen. She put the pie into the oven and went to relax on the sofa when her phone went off. She giggled like a teenager when she read:

_Is it ok if I come now? I'm ready to see you again. _

She was still smiling when she typed in her reply. The smile never left her face when he showed up ten minutes later. His smile was as big as hers when she opened the door. They were both like teenagers and it was cute to both of them. "Hey, Danny." Lacey says and steps aside to let him in.

"Hi, Lacey." Danny says. He lowered his voice. "Where's Clara?"

"She's up in her room playing." Lacey responds and shuts the door.

Danny took that time to give her a quick hug and a kiss before Clara caught them. "Sorry, but I needed that." He says and they both laugh.

"I did too. Well, the food is in the oven. I guess you can have you coloring date while it cooks." Lacey walked to the stairs and called for Clara. "Clara? Come here sweetie."

Clara practically came running down the stairs. She was happy to see Danny. She started smiling and waved at him. She walked over to Danny and stood there like she did the night before. Danny knew she wanted a hug so he bent down to give her one. "Hi, Clara. Ready to color?" He asks and Clara lights up.

"Yes." She says in an excited tone. She ran to get her coloring books and crayons from her chest and came running back. She gave Danny the Scooby Doo one and saved the Frozen one for herself. She gave Lacey the Disney princess one and they all sat down at the table and started to color. "You have to stay inside the lines." Clara says to Danny.

"Got it." Danny replies and Lacey tried to contain her laughter. "You're doing a good job."

"Thanks. Mama is too. She's good at coloring." Clara says.

"She is." Danny says and smiles.

They just sat there and colored in a comfortable silence. That is until one of them spoke.

"Are you my Daddy now?" Clara asks Danny out of nowhere. Lacey was beyond shocked.


End file.
